I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

The two sides faced off, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth surged. The waters of the Liusha River churned endlessly under the collision of the two forces.

The soldiers and civilians on the bridge held their breath, feeling the chilling atmosphere in the air.

Fuxi's gaze swept over the nine immortals, and he slowly spoke: "Gentlemen, the Liusha River Bridge is the culmination of humanity's efforts and concerns the well-being of countless lives. Why do you insist on pressuring us?"

The Jade Emperor sneered: "Humanity harbors ambitions and seeks to defy the laws of Heaven. If this bridge is not destroyed today, it will surely become a great calamity in the future!"

Before he finished speaking, the Haotian Mirror in his hand flashed, and its dazzling light shone directly onto the bridge.

The music of Fuxi's zither rose again, transforming into a curtain of light that blocked the light from the Haotian Mirror.

Almost simultaneously, Laozi's Taiji diagram rotated, and the Yin and Yang energies transformed into black and white dragons that rushed towards the human camp; Yuan Daoren waved his Pangu Banner, and the Chaos Sword Qi slashed towards the bridge; Suirenshi's Suiren Stone Fire ignited with raging flames, colliding with the Chaos Sword Qi and erupting with a deafening roar.

The great battle broke out, the light of the magical artifacts illuminated the night sky over the Flowing Sand River, and the collision of spiritual energy stirred up storms.

The Taiji diagram clashed with the fire from the Suiren Stone, the Yin and Yang energies intertwined with the raging flames, and the heavens and earth trembled; the chaotic sword energy of the Pangu Banner collided with the sword energy of the Xuanyuan Sword, bursting out dazzling sparks; Fuxi's zither music surged towards the immortal camp like a tide, and although Kong Xuan's five-colored divine light was strong, it was slightly dimmed under the suppression of the zither music.

The two sides exchanged blows, their magical treasures and supernatural powers intertwined. Although the scale of the battle was not as grand as the siege of Lingjiu Peak by the Three Realms back then, it far surpassed the intensity of Jiang Wang's demolition of Lingxiao Palace.

All the celestial saints and powerful beings turned their gazes toward the Flowing Sand River, secretly speculating about the outcome of this great battle.

Someone whispered, "Why didn't the Tongtian Sect Leader send anyone to participate? Could he have other plans?"

The battle lasted for three months, and the two sides were still evenly matched.

The nine immortals held their ground firmly thanks to the power of their innate treasures; the eight human emperors, though exceptionally talented, lacked such treasures and were unable to completely overwhelm their opponents.

The Yellow Emperor's eyes were sharp as he said in a deep voice, "The Immortals' intention is to buy time and wear down the morale of our human race. Holy Emperor Fuxi, we must finish this battle quickly!"

Fuxi nodded slightly, then suddenly plucked the strings of his zither, and the music transformed into beams of golden light that shot into the sky.

He shouted, "Set up the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Formation!"

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince quickly changed his position and activated all the magical treasures in his hands.

Rays of spiritual light rose from their palms, weaving together to form a massive array phantom that enveloped the entire Flowing Sand River.

As the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Formation took shape, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was suddenly cut off, and the divine power within the nine immortals flowed away like water.

Laozi acted decisively, throwing out the Taiji Diagram, which transformed into a yin-yang light curtain to protect everyone and temporarily stop the dissipation of divine power.

However, the spiritual energy within the great formation was completely depleted, leaving the nine immortals trapped in a quagmire, and their magical treasures greatly weakened.

Yuan Daoren frowned and said, "This formation isolates spiritual energy and absorbs divine power. Even a saint cannot withstand such a drain!"

Ran Deng exclaimed, "The potential of the human race far surpasses that of the demon race! Although the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Array originates from the Hetu and Luoshu, it does not require them as its base, making it superior to the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, the Jade Emperor suddenly activated the Haotian Armor. The power of the saint erupted instantly, turning into a golden light that rushed towards the edge of the great formation, attempting to break through the formation.

However, the dense fog of the formation confused the direction, and the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder struck down from the fog. The Jade Emperor's divine power was dissipated by the thunder's bombardment, and he had no choice but to retreat back into the formation.

The nine immortals exchanged glances, their eyes revealing a hint of apprehension for the first time.

Meanwhile, in the hidden realm, Jiang Wang sat cross-legged atop Mount Wanxing, with an ancient alchemy furnace in front of him. Spiritual light flowed within the furnace, and the air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs.

The flow of time in the hidden realm is different from that in the outside world; five years of seclusion is equivalent to three months in the outside world.

With undivided attention, Jiang Wang refined approximately nine thousand Taiyi Xuanhuang Pills and over four hundred Daluo Tian Pills.

With the help of elixirs, the human cultivators in the hidden realm made rapid progress. Nine thousand Taiyi Golden Immortals and four hundred Daluo Golden Immortals were ready to go. The three personal disciples, Li Bai, Guo Ziyi, and Du Fu, even reached the peak of Daluo Golden Immortal, their auras as deep and boundless as the sea.

Jiang Wang gazed intently toward the Flowing Sand River, thinking to himself, "The eyes of the three realms are all focused on the Flowing Sand River; this is the time for our human race to rise."

He stood up, summoned his three disciples, and scanned them one by one with his gaze.

Li Bai was handsome and elegant, with the carefree spirit of a poet in his brows; Guo Ziyi was composed and had the air of a commander; Du Fu had a lean face, but his eyes revealed a deep concern for the country and its people.

Jiang Wang smiled slightly and took out three treasures.

He handed a long sword to Li Bai, its blade faintly shimmering with the light of the laws of time: "This sword contains the laws of time, which can enhance oneself, weaken others, and protect you."

Li Bai accepted the longsword. A flash of light appeared on the blade, as if carrying the passage of time. He bowed and thanked the master, saying, "Master, your kindness is truly appreciated. I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Jiang Wang then took out a thumb ring and handed it to Guo Ziyi: "This thumb ring contains a small world that can hold soldiers and provisions to help you conquer cities and territories."

Guo Ziyi accepted the ring with both hands. It felt heavy in his hands, as if there was endless space inside. He said in a deep voice, "This disciple will surely sweep away the Eastern Continent!"

Finally, Jiang Wang handed a cloth bag to Du Fu: "This bag contains seeds that yield ten thousand catties per mu. The seeds can strengthen the body. The bag is set with a faint light array that can only be broken by a sage. We must beware of the Intercepting Sect and Mount Ling coveting it."

Du Fu solemnly accepted the grain, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, but he firmly said, "This disciple should prioritize the people's livelihood and protect these grain seeds!"

Jiang Wang nodded, his eyes blazing: "You all must hurry to Chang'an to pay homage to Li Shimin, and lead nine thousand Taiyi Golden Immortals and four hundred Daluo Golden Immortals to march on Dongsheng Divine Continent to help our human race unify the Three Realms!"

The three disciples responded in unison, transformed into streaks of light, and disappeared from the summit of Wanxing Mountain.

On the Liusha River, the Hunyuan Heluo Grand Formation was still in operation. The nine immortals were trapped inside, their spiritual energy depleted, and they gradually showed signs of fatigue.

The human race's banners fluttered in the wind at the bridgehead, and the morale of the soldiers and civilians gradually rose under the protection of the eight emperors.

In the distance, Jiang Wang's figure appeared and disappeared on the horizon, his gaze deep, as if he were looking down over the entire Three Realms.

He whispered, "The will of humanity cannot be thwarted by Heaven!"

The surface of the Liusha River shimmered in the morning light, withered grass swayed on the riverbank, and the wind whispered, as if telling the story of this long-standing stalemate.

Jiang Wang stood on the branch of an old willow tree, his clothes fluttering slightly in the wind, but his gaze was as cold as ice as he looked down at the innate treasure formation in the distance.

Within the formation, light flowed, and nine figures appeared and disappeared. The Jade Emperor and the eight Heavenly Emperors were trapped inside. Although their auras were stable, they could not escape.

Outside the formation, the Three Sovereigns—Suiren, Shennong, and Fuxi—each sat cross-legged in their respective places, their faces solemn, occasionally whispering a few words, as if discussing countermeasures.

Jiang Wang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

His figure moved like smoke, having already unleashed the "Primordial Chaos Level Standing Shadowless Technique".

His technique allows him to become one with heaven and earth, making it difficult even for a quasi-saint to detect his aura.

He did not rush to intervene, but merely observed the situation from the sidelines, secretly assessing the circumstances.

The standoff at Liusha River has drawn the attention of all three realms, presenting him with the perfect opportunity to act.

With a thought, he turned his gaze towards the Heavenly Court, a sly glint in his eyes.

Meanwhile, in the Guanyin Temple far away in the South China Sea, Sha Wujing was kneeling on a prayer mat, his hands clasped together, and beads of sweat were seeping from his forehead.

Incense smoke swirled within the hall, where Guanyin sat serenely on a lotus throne, her face benevolent yet bearing a touch of majesty. Pigsy had been imprisoned for over three months; the rope binding him was made of dragon tendons, exceptionally strong and unbreakable by ordinary treasures.

The journey to obtain the scriptures was thus halted. Tang Sanzang became increasingly anxious and irritable, often launching into long tirade against everyone. Sha Wujing was exhausted and could no longer bear the burden.

“Sha Wujing,”

Guanyin's voice was gentle yet undeniable: "Bajie's predicament is not caused by ordinary ropes, but by dragon tendons. Only the decaying water of the dragon's corpse can break the seal on his magical power."

However, this putrid water can only be formed after a young dragon under three years old dies; remember, you must not harm the little white dragon.

Sha Wujing lowered his head, his brows furrowed.

He initially considered using the White Dragon's flesh to make the putrid water, since the White Dragon was a dragon and a member of the pilgrimage team, and taking his flesh and blood might solve Pigsy's predicament.

However, Guanyin's words completely shattered his hopes.

He was extremely unwilling. What had the young dragon done wrong? If he were to take its life, Sha Wujing knew he couldn't get past the mental hurdle.

But Guanyin said again, "The longer Tang Sanzang wears the golden headband, the more suffering he will endure. Sha Wujing, are you willing to see all the efforts of the four of them go to waste?"

These words struck Sha Wujing like a heavy hammer blow.

He gritted his teeth, finally nodded, and stood up, saying, "This disciple obeys and is willing to go to the Dragon Palace."

Guanyin nodded slightly, and with a flick of her whisk, a golden light entered Sha Wujing's body, helping him conceal his aura so that the Dragon Palace guards would not notice.

Sha Wujing bid farewell to Guanyin, and in a flash, he transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the depths of the East Sea.

The Dragon Palace of the East Sea is a vast expanse of blue water, with coral reefs like forests and pearls scattered among them, resembling a fairyland on earth.

Sha Wujing concealed his aura, transformed into an ordinary blue fish, and swam slowly into the depths of the Dragon Palace, blending into the school of fish.

His heart sank, and the image of the young dragon kept flashing through his mind—those dragon sons and grandsons who had not yet taken human form, with tender scales and clear eyes, how could he bear to do it? But the miserable state of Pigsy also appeared before his eyes, the pig's head was bound by dragon tendons with its skin torn and its flesh torn, lying on the ground groaning and whimpering, without even the strength to curse.

Sha Wujing gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "I only hope that there are any young dragons that have already perished in the Dragon Palace, so that I can avoid committing this sin myself."

The inner palace of the Dragon Palace was magnificent and heavily guarded.

Sha Wujing carefully avoided the patrolling shrimp soldiers and crab generals and sneaked into a side hall.

This hall is named "Dragon's Death Hall".
This is the place where the Dragon Clan stores the bodies of fallen dragon sons. It is filled with eerie and sinister energy. Dozens of jade coffins are placed inside the hall, and the aura inside is faint, clearly left behind by the descendants of the Dragon Clan after their deaths.

Sha Wujing held his breath and examined each one, only to find that the dragon corpses in these jade coffins were all adults, and the putrid liquid had long since drained away, rendering them useless.

His heart sank, and he sighed inwardly, "Do I really have to do it myself..."

Before the thought had even formed, a low murmur came from outside the hall, like a dragon's roar yet with a touch of childishness.

Sha Wujing was startled and followed the sound to a pool of water behind the hall.

In the pool, a young dragon, no more than three feet long, was playing. Its scales were like jade, and its tail swayed gently, splashing up tiny droplets of water.

Sha Wujing stared at the young dragon, his hands unconsciously clenching until his knuckles turned white.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to look away, thinking to himself, "No, no! How can I, Sha Wujing, harm an innocent person to save one?"

Just then, an old dragon guard walked over from the pool, holding a coral staff, and muttered to himself, "This little prince was born weak and probably won't live past three years old. The Dragon King has ordered me to send him to his death tonight to spare him suffering."

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing's pupils contracted sharply, and he felt a mix of emotions.

The young dragon was nearing its end. If he were to take its stagnant water, would that be considered killing? Even so, he still couldn't bring himself to do it.

At the same time, in the Heavenly Court, Jiang Wang's figure appeared like a ghost outside the Treasure Hall.

The palace gates are towering and gleaming with gold. Two majestic stone lions stand guard at the entrance, their eyes seemingly sparkling with spiritual light.

Jiang Wang chuckled, raised his hand and waved it, unleashing two invisible sword energies that instantly shattered the stone lion into dust.

He pushed open the door and entered, and the sight inside made him gasp in shock.

The Treasure Hall is divided into seven sections. In the Jewelry section, jade and agate are piled up like mountains, radiating a soft luster; in the Weapons section, swords, spears, and halberds gleam coldly, each one a supreme treasure of the immortals; in the Magic Treasures section, spiritual light flows, with flying swords, pagodas, and jade bottles floating in mid-air; in the Fine Wine section, the aroma of wine is irresistible, with immortal brew flowing like a babbling brook in jade pots; in the Rare Fruit section, peaches and vermilion fruits emit an enticing fragrance; in the Spiritual Herbs section, the fragrance of herbs and trees is refreshing, with spiritual energy swirling in the medicine cauldrons; and in the Elixir section, golden light shines brightly, with pills floating like twinkling stars.

A glint of greed flashed in Jiang Wang's eyes as he muttered, "The Heavenly Court is indeed rolling in money; no wonder the Three Realms covet it."

Without further hesitation, he transformed into a black whirlwind, sweeping across the entire Treasure Hall.

The luminous pearls on the walls, the mysterious jade on the floor tiles, and the gilded glazed tiles on the ceiling were all stored in his sleeve.

Haotian's benevolent corpse clone sensed the disturbance and roared as it charged forward, only to be shattered by Jiang Wang's palm strike, turning into a ball of golden light and dissipating.

In just three minutes, the Treasure Hall was completely empty, not even a hair was left.

Jiang Wang clapped his hands in satisfaction and teleported to the Tushita Palace, only to find it empty. Laozi had already moved the elixir.

He then went to the Peach Garden, where the peach trees were bare, and not a single peach was left.

Jiang Wang clicked his tongue and cursed inwardly, "Laojun and the Queen Mother are indeed cunning."

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard the sound of war drums in the distance. A million heavenly soldiers were gathering at the South Heavenly Gate, preparing to support the Flowing Sand River.

Jiang Wang's eyes darted around, and a plan came to mind.

He used his transformation technique to become the avatar of Haotian's benevolent corpse, wielding the God-Slaying Whip, and swaggered towards the heavenly soldiers' formation.

The Heavenly Army Commander met the "Good Corpse of Haotian".

Upon his arrival, Jiang Wang bowed respectfully, but Jiang Wang waved his hand and said, "The Jade Emperor has decreed that the battle at Liusha River is over. You are to immediately proceed to Beiju Luzhou to annihilate the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

The heavenly soldier commander was taken aback, a look of doubt on his face: "But the Flowing Sand River..."

Jiang Wang snorted coldly and lightly flicked the God-Slaying Whip. The whip's shadow was like a dragon, causing the void to hum.

The commander dared not ask any more questions, and hurriedly accepted the order to turn the army around, which headed towards Beiju Luzhou in a grand procession.

Jiang Wang watched the departing heavenly soldiers, a cold smile playing on his lips, and muttered, "A bunch of fools. The demon king of Beiju Luzhou is waiting for you to die."

On the banks of the Liusha River, the three emperors are still locked in a standoff.

Shennong, holding a medicinal hoe, said with great worry, "If the Heavenly Court sends reinforcements, we may not be able to hold out."

Fuxi stroked his beard and smiled, gently shaking the tortoise shell in his hand. After divining, he said, "The human race is not isolated and helpless. There are quasi-saint auras lurking around. We should just observe the situation." (End of this chapter)