Simultaneous travel: I am proving the great way in the heavens.

Chapter 577: The Three Realms were completely shattered! A battle of wits with a saint!
Faced with Sun Wukong's obviously irresponsible excuse, Taibai Jinxing smiled and then changed the subject, saying, "Great Sage, if we're talking about the Heavenly Court, who else can help you out of this predicament? Besides the Great Heavenly Venerable, there's only the Heavenly Venerable whose secret name is the Five Extremes War God."

Blinking, Sun Wukong asked in confusion, "Who is this powerful deity? I've never heard of him before?"

Sun Wukong boasted that he knew the Heavenly Court quite well, after all, he had fought against countless gods and immortals when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Even now that we know that many of the gods didn't really fight him when they were dealing with him, Sun Wukong still managed to become a familiar face.

I wouldn't dare say I know every single one of the gods in Heaven, but I do have a fairly good understanding of them.

With such a peculiar title as the secret name of the Five Extremes Warlord Heavenly Venerable, Sun Wukong believed he should have ignored such an obviously extraordinary being, whether he had encountered him before or heard of him.

“Great Sage, you may not know this, but the Heavenly Venerable of the Five Extremes of War Might is a high-ranking and powerful minister of the Heavenly Court, under the command of the Heavenly Emperor of Gouchen Upper Palace. However, the Heavenly Venerable has only recently ascended to the divine position, so Great Sage was not aware of him before,” Taibai Jinxing explained simply.

Sun Wukong instantly understood. In his opinion, this person with the secret title of War Might Five Extremes Soldiers Master Heavenly Venerable was probably just like the True Martial Emperor of the North Pole.

Back when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, Zhenwu the Great was merely one of the Four Saints of the North Pole, and in terms of status, he was not even comparable to Marshal Tianpeng, Zhu Bajie's previous incarnation. Five hundred years later, the former Zhenwu had become the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable, the Xuantian Emperor, and the Zhenwu the Great.

He had already established his own dojo and made his own mark, becoming a powerful figure in the region.

Subconsciously imagining the origins of this Heavenly Venerable, whose secret title was War Might Five Extremes Soldiers, Sun Wukong couldn't wait to ask, "Old man, where should I go to ask this Heavenly Venerable for help?"

"Great Sage, don't be anxious." Taibai Jinxing smiled and comforted him, "His secret name is the Five Extremes War God, the Heavenly Venerable. He has just ascended to the divine position and is currently suppressing the remnant soul of an ancient great power in the ancient battlefield ruins deep in the Heavenly Court. You still need to go there in person to invite him."

"I understand now." Nodding vigorously, Sun Wukong said, "Please, old man, show me the way?"

Venus clearly had ulterior motives.

Upon hearing this, he immediately told Sun Wukong how to go to the depths of the heavens to find the ruins of that ancient battlefield.

After Venus finished speaking.

Overjoyed, Sun Wukong casually promised that he would invite Taibai Jinxing to drink with him in Heaven when he had time in the future. Then he headed straight for the depths of Heaven.

After watching Sun Wukong disappear into the depths of the Heavenly Court's layered space, Taibai Jinxing went to the Lingxiao Palace to report to the Jade Emperor.

Clearly, all of Venus's actions were based on the Jade Emperor's orders and arrangements.

Deep within the Heavenly Court, following the guidance of Venus, Sun Wukong bypassed layers of restrictions and formations, advancing continuously through the fragments of space.

Sun Wukong's expression also began to become increasingly solemn.

Indeed, the closer one gets to the space where those ancestral witches perished, the greater the pressure that instills fear and trembling in people, as this relic, left behind after the final battle of the ancient Lich War.

In fact, as they approached Chi You's location, Sun Wukong's fur stood on end.

If Sun Wukong hadn't believed that Taibai Jinxing wouldn't deceive him on such matters, he would have suspected that this might be a trap deliberately set for him by the Heavenly Court.

With a heavy heart, Sun Wukong actually stormed into the location where Chi You was.

The view before him suddenly blurred.

The scene that appeared in his sight greatly shocked Sun Wukong and his mind.

In his eyes, the nine figures before him were like manifestations of the Heavenly Dao, bringing Sun Wukong an unprecedented spiritual shock.

So much so that it took Sun Wukong quite a while to come to his senses.

Faced with these nine figures, Sun Wukong even doubted that even his own Law of Heaven and Earth was nothing more than an ant.

Sun Wukong, being rather shallow in his knowledge, failed to recognize that eight of the nine figures were illusory beings—the very same ancestral witches from the ancient Lich War: Jumang (Wood), Rushou (Metal), Qiangliang (Thunder), Xizi (Lightning), Tianwu (Wind), Dijiang (Space), Xuanming (Ice), and Zhujiuyin (Time).

The only one that Sun Wukong found somewhat familiar was the great sorcerer Chi You, who had once rivaled the Yellow Emperor.

After calming his shocked mind, Sun Wukong composed himself, and his eyes instantly emitted a faint golden light.

With his discerning eyes, Sun Wukong immediately located Chi You's position.

With utmost respect, Sun Wukong clasped his hands together in the direction of Chi You, bowed, and said, "Disciple Sun Wukong greets the Heavenly Venerable of the Secret Name of the Five Extremes of War."

Chi You, who was busy absorbing and refining the fragments of the Ancestral Witch's spirit, only glanced in Sun Wukong's direction, yet this brought Sun Wukong even more intense psychological pressure.

This is mostly due to Chi You's special state at this moment, since he is absorbing and refining the spiritual fragments of the Ancestral Witch, and what he carries is the evil aura of the Ancestral Witch from back then.

It should be noted that the intensity of the Lich Calamity was in no way inferior to the Investiture of the Gods calamity, which was personally led by a sage.

It is far more significant than the current Journey to the West, which is clearly the result of weighing the pros and cons from all sides and resembles a meticulously planned stage play.

During the Investiture of the Gods, when even saints faced their fate, the Tongtian Sect Leader, after losing the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation and in a state of utter despair, planned to destroy the Three Realms, recreate earth, water, fire, and wind, and re-establish the world.

Although there were no saints during the Lich War, the intensity of the war nearly destroyed the Three Realms. Gonggong smashed Buzhou Mountain, almost causing the heavens and earth to merge again.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches' combined Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation can even summon the true form of Pangu, who can rival even the saints.

None of the ancestral witches could be fooled by Sun Wukong, the so-called Great Sage Equal to Heaven who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Sun Wukong, the so-called Great Sage Equal to Heaven, caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, but it was just a commotion, a pure farce.

The Ancestral Witches truly wiped out the Demon Heavenly Court of that time, and even now, the Heavenly Court has not recovered its former glory.

Comparing Sun Wukong's so-called havoc in the Heavenly Palace to the Ancestral Witches is simply an insult to the Ancestral Witches.

The terrifying and ferocious aura of the Ancestral Witch was the root cause of Sun Wukong's great shock at this moment.

"Why have you come to find me?" Chi You manifested his non-human form and asked Sun Wukong.

Deeply shocked, Sun Wukong was incredibly obedient at this moment.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." Sun Wukong, feeling wronged, recounted his experiences with the Buddhist Middle Way, specifically the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and his encounter with the true Buddha.

Of course, in his account, he would portray the Buddha as someone who bullies the weak.

He had only made a small mistake, yet the Buddha Ruzhen had seized upon his master, junior brother, and others, refusing to let him go.

Chi You, being two sides of the same coin as Luo Fu, laughed upon hearing this, "Then do you know what my relationship is with that True Buddha?"

Sun Wukong froze on the spot.

Sun Wukong was undoubtedly a clever monkey.

He might not recognize the identity of the Ancestral Witch. But Sun Wukong could still recognize the form of Chi You.

After all, Chi You was someone who once rivaled the Yellow Emperor, the human emperor.

But what Sun Wukong couldn't understand was how Chi You, the God of War, could be related to the Buddha Ruzhen of Buddhism.

After a moment's hesitation, Sun Wukong shook his head and said frankly, "This disciple does not know."

Chi You laughed loudly and said, "You wicked monkey, you are indeed cunning. You should first find out what my relationship is with that Buddha Ruzhen before you try to deceive me."

The instant Chi You finished speaking, before Sun Wukong could even respond, his vision suddenly blurred.

When he reappeared, Sun Wukong was already standing in the heavenly court, amidst pavilions, towers, and clouds.

This place felt exactly like the spot where I used to hide and cry in secret.

Blinking in the blink of an eye, Sun Wukong was genuinely shocked. He wasn't unfamiliar with such methods of shifting stars, but he was in the Heavenly Court now.

The Heavenly Court is riddled with restrictions and layers upon layers of space; even immortals can get lost within it if they are not careful.

Otherwise, Sun Wukong's so-called havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then wouldn't have obediently followed the Heavenly Court's path and fought his way in from the South Heavenly Gate.

Indeed, the Heavenly Court is fraught with danger at every turn.

At first glance, it appears to be the most supreme and noble place in the Three Realms, but in reality, it is an extremely dangerous and inescapable place of slaughter.

The Heavenly Court has always been the most dangerous place in the Three Realms.

Never forget that after the demon race discovered the Heavenly Realm, they made it their stronghold and established the Heavenly Court.

As for the celestial realm, Emperor Jun, a demon, has set up the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Array, which he comprehended from the Hetu Luoshu.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Formation may not be as famous as the three great killing formations of the Primordial Era; its power is in no way inferior to them.

Whether it's the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation of the Witch Clan, the Zhou Tian Star Formation of the Demon Clan, or the Immortal Slaughtering Formation of the Tongtian Sect Master, the Hunyuan Heluo Formation, which hasn't left much of a name, is one that we can all try to challenge.

However, compared to the three great killing formations of the Primordial Era, the Hunyuan Heluo Formation is particularly good at defense. It was the protective formation of the Heavenly Court of the Demon Race back then. As the old lair of the Demon Race, the number of times the Witch Race was able to break into the Heavenly Realm can be counted on one hand.

Since it wasn't truly demonstrated, the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Formation naturally didn't gain widespread recognition.

The sheer number of Ancestral Witches who sacrificed themselves in the Heavenly Realm is enough to demonstrate the terrifying power of the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Array.

After the Heavenly Realm was shattered, the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Array was destroyed, but the broken array caused endless changes and was fraught with danger.

The current Heavenly Court has at best only reorganized a portion of the Heavenly Realm.

Aside from the fixed areas, no one can guarantee that one wrong step won't lead to a terrifying, special space from which there is no return.

The rules of Heaven are, in a sense, the truly safe path.

Sun Wukong wasn't stupid; of course he understood this.

In his understanding, apart from the Jade Emperor, everyone else in the Heavenly Court would have their magical powers affected.

Only the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, truly possesses the power to manipulate space and shift positions at will.

Now, this Heavenly Venerable, whose secret name is War Might Five Extremes Soldier Master, has silently moved him to the space where he had just been hiding and crying.

Shaking his head, feeling once again how insignificant he was, Sun Wukong grinned and headed straight for Venus.

In his view, Venus was directing him to find the Heavenly Venerable of the Secret Name War Might Five Extremes, but he didn't tell him what the relationship was between this Heavenly Venerable and the Buddha Ruzhen. This was clearly a trap for him.

However, just as Sun Wukong stepped out of this space, he bumped into Taibai Jinxing, who seemed to be waiting for him.

"Old man, you've lied to me, you..."

"Did the Great Sage return empty-handed?" Taibai Jinxing interrupted Sun Wukong's questioning with a smile, saying, "Great Sage, would you like to ask what the relationship is between that Heavenly Venerable and the True Buddha?"

Nodding, Sun Wukong impatiently stepped forward and tugged at Taibai Jinxing's clothes, saying, "You old man, stop keeping me in suspense."

“Great Sage, don’t be anxious.” Taibai Jinxing said, “That Heavenly Venerable, whose secret name is War Might Five Extremes Soldiers Master, has an unpredictable relationship with the True Buddha. This old man dares not comment. However, if the Great Sage wants the Heavenly Venerable’s help, he must submit a memorial to the Holy Mother and make a sacrifice to obtain her approval.”

Sun Wukong increasingly felt that Taibai Jinxing had ulterior motives, but he didn't know what Taibai Jinxing was plotting, nor did he know who this so-called Holy Mother was.

Before this, none of the troubles Sun Wukong had encountered had ever been as convoluted and baffling as today.

He had clearly been instructed to seek out the Heavenly Venerable of the Five Extremes of War Might, but upon turning around, he was required to present a memorial and offer sacrifices to some unknown Holy Mother.

This shrouded-in-the-moment approach greatly annoyed Sun Wukong.

"Old man, don't try to make a fool of me. Let's get this straight this time. If I were to do as you say and offer sacrifices to some Holy Mother, wouldn't there be other powerful beings waiting for me behind me? I can afford to wait, but the journey to the West cannot wait!"

Sun Wukong's words clearly carried a hint of threat.

After all, the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures was a major project that attracted the attention of the Three Realms. It was backed by the Buddha, the Jade Emperor, and even Laozi, after experiencing the ordeal at the Golden Gourd Cave, tacitly approved it.

"How dare this humble god mock the Great Sage?" Taibai Jinxing said with a wry smile, "I have already prepared the memorial and sacrifice. Great Sage, please come with me."

With a flicker of his eyes, Sun Wukong finally caught up with Taibai Jinxing.

Led by Venus, Sun Wukong soon arrived at the outside of a secluded hall.

Standing outside the main hall, one can see at a glance that the empty hall contains only a hazy statue of a deity.

One can vaguely sense a profound sense of compassion emanating from this statue.

Sun Wukong, in particular, couldn't even see the true face of the statue clearly with his fiery eyes, yet he felt an unprecedented sense of intimacy from it.

It was a feeling that Sun Wukong had heard of but never truly experienced.

Taibai Jinxing, who was also standing outside the main hall, bowed to the hall from across the threshold but did not step inside. Instead, he said to Sun Wukong, "Great Sage, you may go inside to offer sacrifices. The Holy Mother will guide you through your confusion."

Sun Wukong grabbed Taibai Jinxing and asked urgently, "Who exactly is she... the Holy Mother? What is her relationship with me, Old Sun? Why... why would I, Old Sun,... would do this to this statue..."

(End of this chapter)