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

"The Great Luo Heavenly Pill!"

Upon hearing this, Haotian's eyes blazed with ecstatic joy. He clapped his hands, and the golden bells in the hall rang in unison. "Brilliant! I am greatly pleased with Laozi's plan! Refine it quickly, and you may take any materials you need from the Heavenly Treasury!"

Laozi smiled slightly, but then shook his head and sighed: "Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated by this humble Taoist."

However, the main ingredient of this elixir is blue coral from the East China Sea, and it takes fifty million catties to make the elixir.

Although I possess the elixir formula, the Heavenly Treasury was recently robbed, and my coral reserves are insufficient.

"May Your Majesty issue an edict to Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, ordering him to present it?"

Upon hearing this, Haotian's expression stiffened slightly.

The theft of the treasure vault was a hidden pain in his heart. The batch of blue corals was originally a precious treasure of the Heavenly Court, but it disappeared in the aftermath of the Investiture of the Gods.

He suppressed his anger and laughed loudly: "It's a small matter! Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will issue the decree immediately."

"That old dragon Ao Guang has just returned to Heaven; he should be rewarded for his service!"

Having said that, Haotian waved his sleeve, and a golden edict flew out, heading straight for the East Sea.

Celestial music rose again in the hall. He pulled Laozi to sit down and said with great interest, "Laozi, tell me about the wonders of this elixir. I want to hear how it can make the Heavenly Court even more powerful."

Laozi spoke eloquently, describing the Great Luo Heavenly Pill as incredibly wondrous: those who consume it will live as long as the heavens, possess boundless magical power, and be able to defeat ten thousand demons with a single soldier.

Haotian was overjoyed to hear this, completely unaware of the hidden coldness in Laojun's eyes.

The Dragon Palace of the East Sea is crystal clear, with coral palaces and jewels gleaming in the sunlight.

Ao Guanglong King sat upright in the main seat, his dragon whiskers fluttering, his majesty tinged with a hint of weariness.

The Dragon Clan suffered heavy losses in the Investiture of the Gods. He originally intended to live a low-key life, but unexpectedly, the Heavenly Court's decree exploded like thunder.

A Yellow Turban warrior arrived carrying an imperial edict, his voice booming: "Ao Guang, His Majesty has decreed: offer 50 million catties of blue coral from the East Sea to aid in the refining of the Great Luo Heavenly Elixir."

Comply immediately!

Upon hearing this, Ao Guang's dragon eyes widened, and his hair and beard stood on end: "Fifty million catties? Although there is a lot of coral in the East Sea, the finest blue coral is extremely rare, and the palace has less than 30% of it! The Heavenly Court is forcibly demanding it! My dragon clan honors Jiang Wang as our ancestor, how can we aid and abet such evil?"

The Yellow Turban Warrior sneered: "Dragon King, you must not disobey the imperial decree! His Majesty has said that if you do not comply, the Dragon Palace will be in danger."

"Don't forget, the Dao Ancestor's power still exists. How dare you dragons act so presumptuously?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Guang felt a surge of anger rising within him.

Jiang Wang was a benefactor of the Dragon Clan, yet the Heavenly Court used this to threaten him. How could he tolerate it? His dragon body trembled, the seawater churned, and his dragon roar shook the heavens: "The Heavenly Court has gone too far! Today, I, Ao Guang, will not yield!"

After saying that, he swung his claw out, and before the Yellow Turban Warrior could even scream, he turned into golden light and disappeared.

The imperial edict fell to the ground, and Ao Guang shattered it, his eyes revealing murderous intent: "Order the Three Seas Dragon Clan to strictly guard the sea frontier."

If the Heavenly Court invades, we will fight to the death!

The news traveled back to the Heavenly Court like wildfire. Inside the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor was furious, smashing his phoenix throne: "Ao Guang murdered the envoy? What a daring rebellious dragon! I will mobilize 100,000 heavenly soldiers to flatten the East Sea!"

Upon hearing this, Laozi hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him: "Your Majesty, please calm down! The East Sea is the former territory of Jiang Wang. If that traitor were to act upon hearing the news, something untoward might happen."

How about this: I, the humble Taoist priest, will personally lead my men down to the mortal realm to harvest blue coral.

Your Majesty only needs to send ten thousand heavenly soldiers to provide adequate protection.

Upon hearing this, Haotian calmed down slightly: "What Laozi said makes sense."

However, the East Sea is treacherous; only with the entourage of a hundred righteous gods can we be safe.

Laozi nodded: "That is exactly what I wanted to say."

"Your Majesty has summoned all the immortals; I, a humble Taoist, am free to choose."

Haotian laughed loudly: "Granted! Do it immediately!"

In a short while, the Lingxiao Palace was filled with immortals, stars, and divine generals.

Laozi surveyed the area with his staff, his eyes piercing, and pointed out a hundred righteous gods.

Among them, fifty-three were of human origin: the brothers Yin Jiao and Yin Hong led the way, followed by Lei Zhenzi, Wei Hu, and other heroes who had been enshrined as gods in the past.

Although they held official positions in the Heavenly Court, they cared deeply for the human race. Upon hearing this, they understood perfectly, yet their expressions remained respectful as always.

"You will all follow me down to the mortal realm to gather coral and refine elixirs. When you return successfully, you will be richly rewarded!"

Laozi said loudly.

The hundred righteous gods responded in unison: "As you command!"

Ten thousand heavenly soldiers stood in formation, their banners fluttering and their cloud chariots rumbling.

The large group of people left Nantianmen in a grand procession and headed straight for the East China Sea.

Laozi sat in the alchemy furnace chariot, a cold smile flashing in his eyes: Haotian, you have taken the bait.

At the same time, Grand Master Xuandu rode his sword eastward, speeding through the clouds and arriving at Shouyang Mountain.

The ancestral land of humankind is covered with verdant mountains and towering ancient trees. Shennong and Emperor Shun stand side by side on the altar atop the mountain.

Shennong's hair and beard were like fire, while Emperor Shun was as gentle and refined as jade. Both of them had deep eyes, as if they had already seen through the secrets of heaven.

Xuandu landed and bowed, saying, "You two sages, Laozi said: The plan is complete, and ten thousand heavenly soldiers and one hundred righteous gods will soon be captured."

Where is the Yellow Emperor?

Shennong nodded, his voice booming like thunder: "Thank you, Brother Xuandu."

The Yellow Emperor has already set off, carrying with him a purple aura that stretches for thousands of miles, and is hiding in the East Sea.

When the time is right, the human race will unleash their formations simultaneously, capturing the leader first!

Emperor Shun smiled and said, "The Heavenly Court is arrogant and extravagant; Heaven itself is digging its own grave."

After this battle, humanity should go even further, gradually encroaching upon the Heavenly Dao and unifying the Three Realms.

Xuandu cupped his hands and said, "This humble Taoist takes his leave."

Wishing you all the best in your endeavors.

Over the East China Sea, clouds and mist swirl, and the waves rise like mountains.

One hundred righteous gods led ten thousand heavenly soldiers, arriving with overwhelming force.

Yin Jiao, wielding a golden whip, shouted, "Form ranks! Harvest the blue coral, and finish this quickly!"

The heavenly soldiers dispersed, unleashing their magical treasures, and then submerged into the sea.

The blue coral lies hidden in the abyss, its eerie blue light shimmering like a star fallen into the sea.

The gods joined forces to cast a spell, causing the seawater to recede and revealing the coral.

Yin Hong laughed loudly: "This thing is indeed miraculous. If refined into the Great Luo Heaven Pill, the Heavenly Court will be awe-inspiring throughout the Three Realms!"

Laozi stood on a cloud, stroking his beard as he observed, muttering, "Indeed, his might shakes the Three Realms... but I wonder which Three Realms he is."

At that very moment, a purple aura rose like a tornado between the sea and the sky! The purple aura stretched for thousands of miles, covering the sky and the sun, and instantly enveloped the entire East China Sea.

Amidst the purple aura, the shadows of golden spears and iron horses were faintly visible. The Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan appeared, pointing his sword at the heavens: "Heavenly Court rebels, surrender!"

The hundred righteous gods were shocked, and Yin Jiao roared angrily: "What kind of demon dares to block the Heavenly Army!"

Before the words were finished, the purple aura tightened like a net, binding the heavenly soldiers and generals like drowned rats, leaving them powerless.

With a flash of light from the Yellow Emperor's sword, human experts from Shouyang Mountain surged out like a tide. Shennong and Emperor Shun joined forces to form an array, unleashing a thunderous force.

Although Yin Hong, Lei Zhenzi, and the others fought back with all their might, they felt the power of the God-Sealing within them receding like a tide, and they all knelt down: "Emperor, spare our lives... Our hearts are with the human race!"

Seeing this, Laozi sighed deeply, waved his sleeve, and the alchemy furnace appeared, turning into golden light and disappearing: "Everyone, take care of yourselves."

"This humble Taoist priest... shall first return to the Heavenly Court to report."

In an instant, the East Sea returned to calm, and all ten thousand heavenly soldiers and one hundred righteous gods were captured. Purple energy surged up and headed straight for Shouyang Mountain.

In the Heavenly Court, at the Lingxiao Palace, Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear knelt, sweat pouring down their faces: "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! A disturbance has occurred in the East Sea; ten thousand heavenly soldiers and a hundred righteous gods... have all been captured by the purple aura of the human race!"

Upon hearing this, Haotian was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale: "What? Where is Laozi? Where is Laozi?"

Shunfeng'er said in a trembling voice, "Laojun... has returned to the Heavenly Court and has not been seen."

Haotian staggered backward, his eyes filled with a mixture of rage and terror: "Human! Jiang Wang! You traitor, I will never let you live under the same sky!"

Outside the hall, a loud bell suddenly rang out, the alarm bell of the Fengshen Hall sounding continuously, shaking the nine heavens.

The tolling of the bell was mournful and plaintive, foreshadowing that the hundred righteous gods would soon be removed from the Investiture of the Gods, and their souls would return to the control of the human race.

Haotian's wild laughter turned into a furious roar: "Issue the decree! Summon the gods and demons of the Thirty-Three Heavens to descend to the mortal realm for revenge! I will raze Shouyang Mountain to the ground!"

Upon hearing this, Venus hurriedly stepped forward and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please reconsider! The Human Race's Ziwei Tianluo Formation is incredibly powerful. In the past, during the Investiture of the Gods, even the Haotian Army suffered a crushing defeat."

"Now that our main army has been completely lost, if we rashly descend to the mortal realm, the foundation of the Heavenly Court may be shaken! It would be better... to endure for now and await the Dao Ancestor's instructions."

Upon hearing this, Haotian clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and his eyes became bloodshot.

He paced the hall, his chest burning with pent-up frustration: The Heavenly Army had been annihilated right before his eyes! Where was Laozi? Where was that old Taoist priest refining elixirs? Everything… how could everything have come to this? Just as he was becoming agitated, a celestial boy rushed into the hall: “Your Majesty! Urgent report! Jiang Ziya… Jiang Ziya has been found!”

Upon hearing this, Haotian abruptly looked up, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "Where? Speak quickly!"

Above the Lingxiao Palace, the golden and resplendent glazed tiles shimmered in the celestial light. The Jade Emperor Haotian sat high on his nine-tiered throne, adorned in a dragon robe, his majesty as deep as the abyss.

His brows showed signs of fatigue, and his golden eyes gleamed with urgency.

The positions of gods in the Three Realms have been incomplete for a long time, and the Heavenly Court operates like an old ox pulling a cart, with countless minor god positions vacant every day, attracting demons and monsters to stir up trouble.

Haotian needed a capable person to mend this mess, and that person was none other than Jiang Ziya, the mastermind behind the Investiture of the Gods.

Outside the hall, the wind and clouds surged. Venus Li Changgeng waved his whisk and stepped steadily into the hall.

His hair and beard were all white, and he had an air of otherworldly grace, yet there was a hint of worry in his expression.

"Your Majesty, I have ascertained that the fisherman of the North Sea is none other than Jiang Shang!"

Venus's voice was clear and bright, but it carried a hint of helplessness. "Yesterday, a sudden storm arose in the North Sea, swallowing the sky and devouring the earth, and all the fishing boats were sunk."

During the daytime journey, the gods saw an old man riding the wind, holding a fishing rod, lightly touching the sea surface, and the waves immediately calmed down.

The celestial being recognized his face and invited him to the Heavenly Court.

Upon hearing this, Haotian was overjoyed and slammed his hand on the table, exclaiming, "Excellent! Quickly summon him to the palace!"

Venus nodded slightly and turned to deliver the decree.

Before long, the palace doors opened wide, and an elderly man with white hair slowly walked in.

He was dressed in a coarse fishing robe, with a worn-out fish basket tied around his waist, and the fishing rod in his hand still smelled of the sea.

The old man was none other than Jiang Ziya, the Marshal of the Investiture of the Gods, a pillar of the human race in the past, now living in seclusion in the North Sea, wandering on a fishing boat, seemingly having forgotten the glory of the mortal world.

Jiang Ziya entered the hall, looked around, and only bowed to the Jade Emperor with his hands clasped, without kneeling.

The immortals in the hall were in an uproar. Wuqu Xingjun was the first to lose his temper. He shook his star crown and shouted, "How dare you! You do not kneel before His Majesty. Have you forgotten the rules of Heaven?"

Wuqu Xingjun, clad in black armor, with his hand on his sword, exuded murderous intent and his eyes were full of contempt.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya smiled calmly, propped his fishing rod on the ground, and said in a steady voice like the waves of the sea: "Star Lord, you flatter me."

The land of Beihai is a corner of the human realm, and the human territory is under the control of the human race.

Ziya is merely a fisherman of the human race; why should he kneel before the Heavenly Court? If Your Majesty has matters to discuss, please speak frankly.”

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was silent.

Haotian's face turned ashen, utterly humiliated.

He was the ruler of the Three Realms; how could he have ever been so disrespected? Seeing this, Venus quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Marshal Ziya, this is the Heavenly Court; why not follow the proper etiquette for now?"

Haotian waved his hand to stop Taibai Jinxing, suppressing his anger, and said slowly, "Jiang Qing, I know that you have been living in seclusion in the North Sea for many years."

"Inviting you to the palace today is not for a trivial matter, but for the sake of the greater good of the Three Realms."

He paused, his gaze intense, "After the Investiture of the Gods, the divine positions were incomplete, and the demonic aura rose again."

I implore you to take back control of the Investiture of the Gods and restore the divine positions in Heaven.

Your strategic planning and contributions back then were invaluable; this task could only have been accomplished by you!

Upon hearing this, a trace of sorrow flashed in Jiang Ziya's eyes.

He recalled the Investiture of the Gods, that bloody storm, in which the elite of the human race entered the path of gods, bringing stability to the Heavenly Court, but leaving the earth empty, demons rampant, and the human race declining like autumn leaves falling.

He shook his head, his voice firm: "Your Majesty, Ziya's investiture of gods back then was already a grave mistake."

Humanity should have been independent, but the divine path drained its lifeblood.

To seal the gates again today would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst. Ziya refused!

Upon hearing this, Haotian's heart sank, but he was not giving up: "Jiang Qing, what conditions do you want? I can grant you a celestial position, treasures, or even an entire realm, whatever you ask for!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya sneered: "Conditions? If Your Majesty is truly sincere, then abdicate and let the human race take control of the Three Realms."

or--"

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing the heavens, "Your Majesty, come to the North Sea and kowtow three times to this old fisherman!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt from the palace, causing the immortals to gasp in shock.

The God of War was furious, his sword already drawn: "How dare you, you insolent brat! How dare you, a fisherman, insult His Majesty?"

Haotian was so angry that his hair and beard stood on end, and his dragon robe fluttered wildly.

He raised his hand and pointed, the power of thunder already gathered in his palm, intending to kill Jiang Ziya on the spot.

Seeing the look of relief on Jiang Ziya's face, and even a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, Haotian's heart skipped a beat—this old fellow actually wanted to die! If he died, there would be no hope of completing the divine position, and the Heavenly Court would be in grave danger! Haotian withdrew his hand, and sneered: "Well done, Jiang Ziya! Since you don't know what's good for you, then throw you into the Heavenly Prison and subject you to the Heavenly Gang Torture! I want to see how tough you really are!"

The guards swarmed forward and dragged Jiang Ziya out of the main hall.

Venus sighed, shook his head, and followed, knowing that his attempts to dissuade him were futile.

Haotian sat back on his throne, his heart burning with rage, unaware that an even greater storm was brewing in the shadows.

Meanwhile, in Kunlun Jade Void Palace, Grand Master Xuandu knelt on a prayer mat and respectfully reported to Laozi: "Master, fifty-three human gods and forty-seven non-human gods have been removed from the Investiture of the Gods list."

Those who ascended to godhood on the list are all humankind.

Lao Tzu stroked his beard and nodded, a profound meaning flashing in his eyes: "Good."

This was the first promise made to humanity, and it has been fulfilled.

The second promise needs to be fulfilled immediately.

Haotian's eagerness to bestow divine titles must be part of a contingency plan.

"You went and arranged that marriage, disrupting the foundation of the imperial family."

Grand Master Xuandu accepted the order and left, arriving at a secret room.

On the table in the room sat two small wooden figures, one of which was engraved with "Liu Yanchang".

The three characters, one of which reads "Three Holy Mothers," are engraved on a statue.

Two words.

He took out the red thread of fate, as thin as a spider's thread, yet containing the power of the Great Dao. He softly chanted an incantation and tied one end of the red thread to Liu Mu and the other end to Chan Mu.

The red rope trembled, wriggling like a living thing, and instantly disappeared into the void, heading straight for the human realm.

"A marriage ordained by Heaven cannot be defied by man."

Xuan Du murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips.

In the human realm, on the banks of the Huai River, a spring breeze caresses the willows. (End of Chapter)