Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

"However, a day in heaven is equivalent to a year on earth. Every morning, I must announce the dawn, and the sound of the bell will reach the Emperor's residence. The Emperor must then come with the decree to restart the solar corona instrument."

Ye Feng was stunned: What? Wasn't it supposed to be once a year? How did it become once a day?!

Which idiot god came up with the idea that "one day in heaven is one year on earth"?!

He dared not show it on his face and could only nod in agreement, but inwardly he was groaning.

My gaze shifted and I noticed the Sun Star Lord standing quietly beside me—this person had been in charge of this matter before, so why don't I just let him continue to do it?

This plan is feasible. However, since they are newcomers and not yet familiar with each other, it would not look good if they shirked their responsibilities as soon as they took office.

At least you have to do it yourself for ten days or half a month first, just to make it look convincing.

With that in mind, he silently accepted the task.

After that, Ye Feng settled in the Heavenly Palace. Apart from having to go to the altar every morning to activate the solar corona instrument, he had plenty of free time.

He began to travel around, making acquaintances with immortals from all walks of life.

As the newly appointed Great Emperor, he held a prestigious position, and none of the immortals dared to be negligent towards him, always greeting him with smiles.

Ye Feng was not arrogant and treated people with kindness. Over time, he developed deep friendships with many people and heard many secrets of the Heavenly Palace.

Although I had learned a little from Di Ting before, it was not as real as exploring it myself.

For example, he now knows that there are two forbidden areas in the Heavenly Palace that are not normally accessible—

One of them is Yaochi, the residence of the Queen Mother of the West, which is filled with female immortals and cannot be entered without being summoned.

The second is the Moon Palace, a cold and lonely place where only the fairy Chang'e resides, raising a jade rabbit, and where Wu Gang tirelessly chops down the cassia tree. No one may enter without authorization except those sent by imperial decree.

The reason for this remains a mystery even to many immortals.

Although Chang'e was not imprisoned and could come and go freely, she rarely appeared in the heavens and spent her days quietly in the Guanghan Palace.

Besides this place, Ye Feng also inquired about the powers and responsibilities of the Four Heavenly Emperors, the location of their palaces, and their subordinates.

The Ziwei Emperor and the Gouchen Emperor reside in the Heavenly Palace, each with their own subordinates to assist them.

The Antarctic Longevity Emperor is rarely in the Heavenly Court, mostly residing on Penglai Immortal Island, occasionally visiting the seat of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens to hear the Dao.

The True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor guards the True Martial Mountain in the lower realm, where he has a temporary palace.

Of all the Heavenly Emperors, this Great Emperor is the busiest. Whenever demons and evil spirits wreak havoc in Jambudvipa and Victory Continent, he personally goes to suppress them.

In the mortal world, he also had to monitor the movements of Beiju Luzhou and guard against the great demon breaking out of the seal. He was busy all day long and had no time to spare.

Ye Feng wrote all of these down.

For the next few days, he lived a comfortable life in the Thai royal palace, and the monkey often came to him for drinks.

He always left completely drunk.

The monkey was even more carefree than him, spending his days training his spirit officers and sparring with his colleagues to test his cultivation, living a life of pleasure and ease.

He also said that Wu De Xing Jun had provoked him several times, but he had retorted on the spot.

Whenever Ye Feng heard this, he would just smile and praise him for doing a good job, saying that in this Heavenly Court, how could he allow himself to be bullied?

Whenever the monkey heard this, it would grin and laugh triumphantly.

Ye Feng remained calm, but he had other plans in mind—he was stirring up trouble and leading the monkey to his death.

Moreover, he had already sensed that a force within the Heavenly Palace was extremely dissatisfied with his arrival.

That person wielded considerable power, remaining hidden behind the scenes. He had already sensed something amiss on the day in the Lingxiao Palace.

The Martial Virtue Star Lord is probably one of that person's pawns.

As for who was behind it all, he already had a vague guess in his mind.

They were just waiting to use the monkey's hand to force the dark figure out of the water.

Afterwards, things returned to normal, and Ye Feng went out less and less, focusing on his cultivation in the Thai Royal Palace.

The celestial realm is rich in spiritual energy; a day of arduous cultivation there is equivalent to a year's worth of effort in the mortal realm.

Furthermore, due to its proximity to the true sun, its cultivation speed increased exponentially. As the Chaos Golden Crow Technique was activated, it had already faintly touched upon the next barrier.

On this day, he devoted himself to tempering his body and refining his magic, his magical power surging and suddenly breaking through a certain limit. A golden crow phantom spontaneously appeared behind him, and a scorching aura rolled like a tide.

In the mortal realm, such high temperatures would be enough to melt mountains and transform them into peaks.

However, the Thai Grand Palace possesses its own unique properties, absorbing all the heat without letting any escape.

Ye Feng opened his eyes, withdrew his Dharma form, and even completely concealed his magical power.

He has realized that he has reached the Great Perfection of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.

This realm is difficult even for the main generals of the Heavenly Court to reach. The next step is to enter the Great Luo realm.

The Great Luo is one who transcends reincarnation, is carefree and unhindered, and is eternally immortal; this is the pinnacle of the immortal path.

This step is extremely difficult, and countless practitioners are trapped at this hurdle, unable to make any progress in their entire lives.

Ye Feng also felt that without an extraordinary opportunity, it would be difficult to make progress in the short term.

While he was in seclusion, elsewhere in the Heavenly Court, at the residence of the Martial Virtue Star Lord.

Since the monkey took office, this person has repeatedly set traps to make things difficult for him.

Unexpectedly, the monkey was diligent and responsible, doing everything well in training the spirit officials and patrolling the palace. He was also good at socializing and soon became one of the spirit officials.

He tried to sabotage the monkey several times, but not only did he fail, the monkey seized the opportunity to counterattack, and he suffered a hidden loss.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, so he could only sit alone at home and drink in silence.

Just as he was feeling melancholy, he suddenly heard the door open and a person enter, smiling and saying, "Star Lord, you've been drinking alone by yourself all day, looking so forlorn. Has something bothered you?"

When Wu De Xing Jun looked up and saw the newcomer, his face immediately lit up with joy. He rose to greet him, saying, "Marshal Yi Sheng! You've finally arrived! Does the Great Emperor have any instructions? Does he have a good plan to get rid of that annoying monkey?"

Marshal Yisheng smiled slightly: "Why is Star Lord in such a hurry?"

The God of Martial Virtue hurriedly invited him inside, added a bowl and chopsticks, and poured wine for him.

Marshal Yisheng drank two cups and said in a low voice, "I've heard a little about that monkey. But he's not the real threat. The real backer is that golden crow."

Wu De Xingjun nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "I understand. But that Golden Crow has some tricks up its sleeve. I don't know what it said to the Great Heavenly Venerable, but it actually got the title of Great Emperor."

Marshal Yisheng sneered, "So what if I'm an Emperor? Hasn't the Heavenly Court appointed enough Emperors? How many of them truly have real power?"

Wu De Xingjun chimed in, "Exactly. Without being among the Four Emperors, it's all just an empty title. Although the Golden Crow is called the Great Emperor, he only does the work of the Sun Star Lord every day, with very little real power; he's just famous."

Marshal Yisheng chuckled lightly: "That's natural. This Great Emperor is nothing compared to the Emperor. However, as a descendant of the Golden Crow, he has an innate ability to rally the demon race. If he is not eliminated, he will always be a stumbling block to the Emperor's grand plan. If we can take his Golden Crow bloodline for our own use, perhaps the Emperor can command all demons and ascend to the position of the true Heavenly Emperor who rules over all demons."

Wu De Xingjun stood aside, nodding frequently, his expression knowing.

Marshal Yisheng took another sip of wine and lowered his voice, saying, "If we're going to deal with the Golden Crow, we have to start with that monkey. They ascended to the Upper Realm together. If we can get him to break the Heavenly Rules first, we'll have a legitimate reason to take action."

"Come closer."

"Let me tell you, although you are in charge of the Heavenly Guards, you also have control over logistics. The Imperial Stables are currently short of a manager, so why not let that monkey take on the role? Monkeys and horses are of the same family, so it's not exactly a demotion. If he refuses, it would be considered negligence and a lack of consideration for the hardships of the Heavenly Court, which would be perfect for impeaching him."

"If he agrees, in a few days you should go to the Imperial Stables and order him to lead your horse. If he brings a fat one, you should insist on a lean one; if he brings a lean one, you should specify a fat one. After all that back and forth, find an opportunity to accuse him of dereliction of duty and blasphemy—wouldn't that be satisfying?"

Upon hearing this, the God of Martial Virtue's eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "Brilliant plan!"

On this day, the monkey was feasting with several spirit officials in the heavenly realm.

He was bestowed the title of "Golden Monkey Grand Marshal," a high-ranking position with great supernatural powers. He usually treated these spirit officials as brothers and had a harmonious relationship with them.

Just as they were enjoying their drinks, a celestial official strolled over, his expression arrogant: "Great Marshal Golden Monkey, listen to my command! The Martial Virtue Star Lord has decreed: The Imperial Horse Stables have been neglected for many years, and the celestial horses are weak and exhausted. They urgently need a capable person to reorganize them. You are qualified for the position. Pack your bags immediately and go to take up your post."

Upon hearing this, all the spirit officials put down their wine cups, their eyes flashing as they exchanged glances.

The celestial official stood still, waiting for Wukong's response.

Wukong frowned, then turned to the others and asked, "Brothers, what exactly is this Imperial Horse Stable job? Are there any rules or regulations?"

A spirit official replied in a low voice, "The Imperial Horse Stable is where the Heavenly Court feeds its horses. All the imperial horses of the Three Realms are raised and cared for here. The official in charge is called 'Bima Wen,' a minor official with no rank or title. In the past, Wude Xingjun, in addition to commanding the guards, also managed this place."

"Now that you are being appointed to this concurrent post, your rank will not be lowered in name, and you will still be the Grand Marshal. But for a dignified marshal to be feeding horses and tending troughs is unprecedented. I'm afraid someone is deliberately trying to humiliate you, my worthy brother."

Wukong scratched his ear. Although he was straightforward, he was not stupid. He understood the meaning as soon as he heard it.

He thought to himself, "This Martial Virtue Star Lord is really annoying. He can't find fault with me, so he resorts to such despicable means to humiliate me. Fine, I'll put up with him for now. I'll go and complain to my senior brother and make sure he gets justice."

Thinking of this, he remained calm and said without turning his head, "Immortal Official, go back and tell Lord Wude that I, Old Sun, will take up my post tomorrow."

Having received the order, the celestial official did not linger any longer and turned to leave to report back.

……

"You're being watched."

Inside the Thai Royal Palace, Ye Feng hosted a banquet, with a dazzling array of divine fruits and delicacies. Opposite him sat a young man with a face as handsome as jade and lips as red as cinnabar—none other than Nezha from the Lingxiao Palace that day.

That day, Ye Feng displayed his power in the palace, slapping Li Jing, which suited Nezha's wishes perfectly. Both of them were unruly and difficult to tame, but Nezha had been strictly controlled by his father for many years, and with the Linglong Pagoda in his hands, he was easily restrained and had been suppressed for a long time. Ye Feng's unrestrained and flamboyant behavior was exactly what Nezha had dreamed of but dared not do.

Since Ye Feng took up his post in the Heavenly Court, the two have become increasingly close, sharing similar interests and eventually becoming bosom friends.

Nezha once laughed while drunk, saying, "You and that monkey are both fools. You are carefree in the mortal world, why bother coming to heaven to be imprisoned? If it weren't for the Linglong Pagoda in Father's hands to suppress me, I would have escaped from the South Heavenly Gate long ago and become the King of Happy Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Ye Feng merely smiled and remained silent. His residence in the Heavenly Palace was merely a temporary measure.

These empty titles and honors were never what he sought.

At this moment, he remained calm, pouring wine with unhurried movements, and asked indifferently, "Do you know who it is?"

Nezha shook his head: "It's still unclear. That person is extremely well hidden. I only overheard a rumor by chance. The fact that so many martial gods launched an attack at the Lingxiao Palace that day was no coincidence. It's a pity that my father has been wary of me in recent years, otherwise he might have been able to find out more."

"But one thing is certain—that person is of extremely high status and his power is even greater than my father's."

"How come you're not flustered at all?"

Ye Feng put down his wine glass, a slight smile playing on his lips: "If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, she'll remarry; if others want to target me, what's the use of panicking?"

Nezha grinned: "Judging from your expression, you clearly know what's going on."

Ye Feng said, "Although it is speculation, in this world, whether mortals or immortals, what they fight for is nothing more than a few things. When I go to heaven, I will block someone's way and make someone unhappy. You can understand this with a little thought. And among them, there are very few people whose status is higher than your father's."

Nezha was intelligent and perceptive. Upon hearing this, several figures immediately flashed through his mind. After comparing them one by one, he suddenly gasped in shock.