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

Taking advantage of this moment, Wang Mo quietly retreated, secretly forming a hand seal, and a Heaven-Opening Pearl appeared in his palm—this was his natal magic weapon, powerful enough to shatter a small world.

"You monster, look at this treasure!"

With a sharp shout, he had already made his move. The Heaven-Opening Pearl transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the Black Bear Demon.

The black bear demon had no time to dodge and could only take a deep breath to withstand the blow.

boom--!

With a severe blow to the shoulder, the colossal body staggered and fell backward.

With a deafening roar, the entire mountain peak collapsed under its weight, sending dust billowing and obscuring the sun.

The black bear spirit grinned, realizing that his shoulder bone was probably broken.

He knew his own limitations; his beast bones, honed through years of arduous training, were far superior to refined steel. Yet, he hadn't expected to be unable to withstand a single blow from his opponent.

The moment he fell to the ground, how could the four marshals show any mercy? They immediately unleashed their magical weapons, revealing their murderous intent, determined to kill him on the spot.

Such is the nature of this world—the power of magical treasures surpasses cultivation level, allowing people to disregard differences in realm and defeat the strong with the weak.

That was exactly what happened at that moment. The other three marshals joined forces to cast a spell, and in an instant the earth roared, as if a dragon had turned over, Flower Fruit Mountain trembled violently, and rocks crumbled.

The black bear spirit was hit head-on, and with a loud "bang," it turned into a wisp of white smoke and disappeared.

The four were taken aback when a black hair suddenly drifted down from the smoke and dust.

Wang Mo was the first to react, shouting in disbelief, "Oh no! It's an avatar combined with the Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell!"

"Too late!"

A loud shout rang out from behind, and the Black Bear Demon reappeared like a ghost, his aura overwhelming. His halberd had already pierced through the air and was aimed straight at his face, leaving him no time to dodge.

A scream erupted as the halberd pierced Wang Mo's chest, tearing his body apart on the spot. He was then violently twisted until his flesh was completely shattered.

Only one primordial spirit fled in panic, soaring into the sky and heading straight for the heavens, where it entered the Heavenly Court's Investiture of the Gods list.

The black bear spirit did not pursue them.

If the Demon King can return to the Heavenly Realm after protecting his primordial spirit, he can be reborn immediately with the power of the Investiture of the Gods without the need for a long period of nurturing.

If the primordial spirit is also completely annihilated, although it will not lead to true death—because the Investiture of the Gods still binds a trace of its true spirit—resurrection will take a long time, and the person will be extremely weak when they first awaken.

Nine of the Twenty-Eight Mansions were previously incinerated along with their spirits by Ye Feng's sword energy.

Strictly speaking, it is not the sword energy itself that is fatal, but the true fire of the sun attached to the sword. This fire is ever-present, difficult to remove once it touches the blade, and will not stop until the primordial spirit is burned to ashes.

After killing one of them, the Black Bear Spirit did not stop and turned to pounce on the remaining three heroes.

The three, who already had the upper hand, were now intimidated by the killing intent and their hearts were filled with fear. They managed to hold off the enemy for a few rounds before being defeated and fleeing in a sorry state towards Li Jing's location.

The Black Bear Demon stood in the void, laughing loudly, and pointed at Li Jing, angrily shouting: "Heavenly King Li, do you dare to invade Flower Fruit Mountain with such meager skills? Quickly gather your remaining troops and return to Heaven! Go back and tell the Jade Emperor to relinquish the throne to my master, and you may escape unscathed! Otherwise, we will march our army to Heaven and make sure your blood flows like rivers!"

After a series of humiliations and provocations, he returned to camp victorious, his bear-like face full of arrogance.

Approaching Ye Feng, he bowed and said, "Master, I have not failed you."

Ye Feng nodded, his expression pleased: "Not bad, I'll remember this great service. After this battle, I'll teach you the secret technique of 'Turning the Earth into Steel with One Finger'."

The black bear spirit was overjoyed upon hearing this and repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude.

All the supernatural abilities I used earlier were taught to me by Ye Feng; without these methods, the outcome of today's battle would have been uncertain.

Ye Feng raised his hand and pointed, sending out a wisp of emerald light that entered the black bear demon's shoulder. Instantly, a cool sensation washed over him, and the bones that had been broken earlier rapidly healed.

On the other hand, the three marshals of the Heavenly Army were defeated and retreated back to their positions, kneeling before Li Jing to beg for forgiveness.

Li Jing was so angry that his nose twisted and his eyes widened: "Four good-for-nothings! Not only did they fail to lure out Ye Feng, but they couldn't even get that rascal out. They were defeated by a black bear and lost all face!"

He said coldly, "Guards! Tie them up! An initial defeat has shaken morale; take them away... never mind, we'll hand them over to the Great Heavenly Venerable for judgment upon our return to Heaven!"

He originally wanted to say "behead them and display their heads," but then he realized that all three of them were on the Investiture of the Gods list, so killing them would be pointless. He had no choice but to change his words.

At this moment, Wen Zhong cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, although the Four Marshals suffered a setback, we have all witnessed the battle. That Black Bear is indeed very capable. Now that we have just arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain, we are in need of manpower. Why not allow him to atone for his crimes and perform meritorious service?"

Li Jing glanced at him, his expression still grim. After a moment of silence, he said, "Since the Grand Tutor has spoken, let's temporarily waive the punishment and loosen the bonds."

The three of them stood up, first giving Li Jing a perfunctory thank you, and then bowing to Wen Zhong.

Li Jing ignored him and shouted, "Where is Nezha, the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas?"

"Your subject is here!" A handsome young general stepped forward, holding a fire-tipped spear, wrapped in a celestial sash, and riding on wheels of fire, exuding an imposing aura.

Li Jing ordered, "I command you to go and subdue the demon!"

"Yes, sir!"

Nezha accepted the order, leaping into the air on his Wind-Fire Wheels, and proclaimed from his high vantage point: "Nezha is here! You bird-men and hairy monkeys, surrender at once!"

Seeing this, Wukong's blood boiled, and he shouted, "Senior brother, let me go! Let me go! I've long wanted to fight Nezha, but I never had the chance back in Heaven!"

After saying that, he was about to get up, but Ye Feng stopped him with his hand.

Ye Feng smiled and said, "You're too slow, I'll go."

Wukong looked bewildered and before he could react, he saw—

Ye Feng took a step forward, his figure as fast as lightning, and charged straight at Nezha, shouting sharply, "You're the birdman!"

Before he finished speaking, the bamboo cane in his hand had already been swung out and smashed down in his face.

Nezha raised his spear to meet the attack, and the two exchanged a light, effortless blow, their inner energy surging.

Nezha let out a miserable cry and flew backward like a kite with a broken string, without any warning, without any roar or surging air.

Clutching the Heaven-Sealing Silk, he staggered back into the formation, kneeling on one knee before Li Jing: "Father, that Emperor Tai is incredibly powerful; I am no match for him!"

Looking at Nezha kneeling and begging for forgiveness, Li Jing was so angry that he almost blew smoke from his nostrils.

Do you think I'm blind?

He gripped the exquisite pagoda tightly, his knuckles turning white, suppressing the urge to immediately trap the rebellious son inside.

"I saw it with my own eyes, step down."

He spoke coldly, his tone suppressing his anger, and waved for Nezha to step back. Then he turned and shouted, "Sound the retreat!"

As the war drums sounded, countless divine soldiers retreated to the southern camp like a tide, and the two armies once again faced each other across the mountains.

Upon seeing this, the demon kings of the seventy-two caves of Huaguo Mountain shouted in unison, and all the demons, large and small, gathered in the mountains and forests, their voices shaking the surrounding wilderness.

Ye Feng smiled slightly, his sleeves fluttering lightly, and the previously scattered demonic mist surged up again, instantly enveloping the mountain peaks.

This fog is extraordinary, as thick as ink, so dense that one cannot see their own hand in front of their face; even those with divine vision would find it difficult to see inside. If a night attack were to occur, the heavenly soldiers would be trapped in a blind place upon landing, unable to move an inch; while the demons, born and raised here, could take advantage of the terrain to stealthily sneak up and launch surprise attacks.

More importantly, this fog is not a technique of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, but an ancient secret method of the Witch Clan.

It was a fragment of memory that Ye Feng obtained when Di Jiang manifested his true form.

In the past, Chi You and the Yellow Emperor fought a great battle at Zhuolu for the throne of the human emperor. In the critical moment, Chi You used witchcraft to create a fog that obscured the heavens and the earth. In an instant, the Yellow Emperor's army was plunged into chaos and nearly wiped out.

Fortunately, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden descended, bestowing upon them the compass chariot to stabilize morale. She then personally slew the Kui Niu, using its hide to make a drum, which shook the void with thunderous sound, finally breaking through the fog and allowing them to kill Chi You.

Though the past is distant, it reappears at this moment on Flower Fruit Mountain.

Overjoyed at their first victory, the monkey immediately set out to hold a celebratory banquet at the Water Curtain Cave.

But Ye Feng stopped him.

"It's just a minor victory; the Heavenly Court hasn't used its full strength yet. We can celebrate after we've completely crushed their army."

The monkey had no choice but to give up in frustration.

Meanwhile, Li Jing withdrew his troops and returned to camp, and soon night fell.

The heavenly soldiers used clouds to create a barrier on both sides of the camp and lit sun lamps, illuminating the camp as bright as day to prevent the enemy from launching a nighttime attack.

Li Jing sat alone in the central command tent, his brows furrowed and his mind heavy.

The immortals of the Jie Sect had long harbored resentment towards him, and this battle was mostly a perfunctory affair.

Although Nezha was his own flesh and blood, the father and son turned against each other after the Investiture of the Gods and became like enemies. How easy would it be to expect him to fight to the death for him?

Upon closer examination, although the Jade Emperor dispatched a large number of troops, very few were truly usable.

Moreover, the initial defeat has dampened morale, and if they cannot turn the tide in one fell swoop, this battle may not end well.

In addition, the eerie thick fog that shrouded Huaguo Mountain was a major concern—even if they won, they would not be able to dispel the fog, and it would be difficult to pursue and eliminate the remaining enemies.

He pondered for a long time but still couldn't come up with a good solution.

Until the next morning, as the sun broke through the clouds and its golden rays shone down on the Heavenly Court camp, Li Jing reorganized his troops for another battle.

Last night, he repeatedly planned and decided to use the Fire Department as the vanguard to force a breakthrough. If that failed, he would order Luo Xuan to set fire to the mountain to force them to show themselves. Once the demons escaped, the Thunder Department would immediately surround them, capture the lesser demons first, and then concentrate on killing Ye Feng and Sun Wukong.

The plan has been devised, and the odds of success are quite high.

Just as he was about to give the order, two figures suddenly appeared, riding on clouds and rushing towards him from the direction of the Heavenly Palace.

Li Jing looked up in surprise.

In the blink of an eye, the two were already close by.

One of the visitors was a divine general, and the other was a Taoist priest.

The divine general Li Jing recognized him as Marshal Tianyou, one of the four marshals under the command of Emperor Gouchen.

As for that Taoist priest, he had never been seen before.

The man stood to the side, neither bowing nor showing any emotion, but gazing in the direction of Flower Fruit Mountain. Seeing the mountain shrouded in mist, his brow furrowed slightly.

Li Jing asked, "Why has Marshal Tianyou come here? And who is this fellow Daoist?"

Marshal Tianyou bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have heard that Your Majesty has been ordered to subdue the demons, and that the Great Emperor Gouchen, who is in charge of all demon affairs, has specially dispatched his subordinates to assist you. This gentleman is Daoist Chisongzi."

"Aka pineapple?!"

Upon hearing this, not only did Li Jing change color, but Wen Zhong, Luo Xuan, Nezha, and even many celestial beings and stars all turned their heads in surprise.

The Taoist priest bowed slightly and said, "I am Chisongzi, and I have long admired the illustrious name of Heavenly King Li."

Li Jing dared not be negligent and hurriedly returned the greeting solemnly: "Daoist Master has come from afar. I am but a junior scholar and do not deserve such a greeting."

It should be noted that Chisongzi once assisted Emperor Yan and personally experienced the Battle of Zhuolu. He was an ancient immortal with a high seniority, and everyone else was his junior.

After exchanging greetings, Li Jing was secretly astonished: He never expected that the Great Emperor Gouchen could actually persuade such a person!

Such a Golden Immortal-level being is no less powerful than the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. The Heavenly Court is truly determined to obtain him this time.

His confidence surged, and he was about to give the order to attack—

Before he could speak, suddenly a burst of Buddhist light appeared in the western sky, lotus flowers bloomed in the void, Bodhi trees paved the way, the Eight Heavenly Dragons circled to protect the Dharma, and the sound of chanting sutras by the monks resounded through the heavens.

A Bodhisattva slowly emerged from the light, seated on a lotus throne, and descended gracefully.

Wen Zhong and the others' eyes darkened, and they sneered inwardly: This bald monk from the West actually came to join in the fun.