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

"Your Majesty, someone has disrupted the Peach Banquet, not only drinking all the fine wine and nectar but also sweeping away all the delicacies on the celestial feast, leaving nothing behind." Upon hearing this, many immortals in the hall already knew the truth—such audacious behavior was most likely the work of that monkey.

The Peach Banquet was no ordinary event; it was the Queen Mother of the West's annual birthday celebration, a grand gathering of immortals and Buddhas from the Three Realms at the Jade Pool, symbolizing the majesty and harmony of the Heavenly Court. For thousands of years, no one had ever dared to make the slightest mistake on such a solemn occasion. Now, to have been so blasphemed, it was only natural that the Jade Emperor was furious.

Immediately afterward, the Barefoot Immortal stepped forward to report that he had been tricked by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven with clever words and moved from his original position, causing the banquet to be without a host and resulting in chaos. Upon hearing this, the gods had no more doubts and unanimously concluded that the culprit was none other than Sun Wukong.

Li Jing's lips curled slightly, a hint of coldness creeping into his expression. That demon monkey from Flower Fruit Mountain was indeed courting death. Very well, today's events provided an opportunity to settle old scores.

He subconsciously touched his cheek, the shame of their two past encounters flashing through his mind: above Ye Feng, he had been defeated twice, the second time nearly perishing in the True Fire of the Sun. Since his ascension to godhood, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? The anger had long been buried deep in his heart, waiting only for the right moment to erupt.

He was always patient and reserved, and usually spoke and acted cautiously in the Heavenly Court, never revealing his talents. Now that everyone was pointing the finger at Sun Wukong, it made him realize the situation clearly—it was still unknown whether the Golden Crow was involved. If it wasn't, then this time he could only start by targeting the monkey.

Even so, it doesn't matter. Killing the monkey is a warning to others, a deterrent to all. Once the Golden Crow loses its protection, there will be ways to deal with it slowly in the future.

Just as they were pondering, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared outside the Lingxiao Palace: heavenly flowers fell like rain, auspicious clouds stretched across the heavenly path, and the faint sound of the Supreme Lord could be heard, cleansing their minds and spirits.

A celestial official rushed in, knelt down, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty! The Supreme Dao Ancestor has arrived outside the palace!"

The entire hall was shocked and fell silent.

Laozi, the Supreme Lord, is one of the highest beings in the Three Realms, residing in the Tushita Palace of the Heaven of Separation and Hatred at the top of the Thirty-Three Heavens. He is rarely seen, even once every ten thousand years, and usually even the Jade Emperor dares not disturb him easily. Today, he has actually come to the Lingxiao Palace in person, which is truly rare.

The Jade Emperor was startled and dared not be negligent. He immediately rose and personally led his civil and military officials to greet them at the palace gate.

As soon as they stepped outside the hall, they saw an old Taoist priest holding a whisk walking on clouds amidst the swirling clouds. He had an air of otherworldly grace and his aura was as deep and profound as an abyss.

The celestial officials immediately knelt down in worship, especially the Taoist disciples, who were the most respectful, even exceeding the etiquette due to the Heavenly Emperor.

"Greetings to the Supreme Ancestor of the Dao."

Laozi gently raised his hand, his voice like an ancient bell: "No need for formalities."

He landed slowly and bowed slightly to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor dared not accept such a grand gesture, and hurriedly stepped aside to give way, returning the greeting with utmost respect. Even though the Sage himself was not present, the majesty he represented was not to be underestimated.

After the ceremony, the Jade Emperor respectfully asked, "May I ask what brings the Supreme Dao Ancestor here?"

Laojun said calmly, "It's nothing serious. I recently refined a batch of Nine-Turn Golden Pills in the palace, intending to present them to His Majesty at the Dan Yuan Grand Ceremony. However, my home was burgled—a monkey and a bird broke into the Tushita Palace, swallowed all the Golden Pills, and stole several magical artifacts. I have come to inform you of this."

The Jade Emperor's pupils contracted slightly.

He naturally understood who the so-called "monkey" and "bird" referred to, but he never expected them to be so audacious as to covet the sacred Tushita Palace and even dare to devour the golden elixir refined by a sage.

That's Laozi! If he gets angry, even their master might not be able to protect him.

However, upon further reflection, he found it strange: with Laozi's abilities, how could he allow two juniors to sneak into the palace and steal the item without anyone noticing? Moreover, instead of investigating the matter themselves after losing the item, they reported it to the Heavenly Court, which was quite intriguing.

The Jade Emperor's gaze was deep as he subtly glanced at Laozi, already having made his decision.

Laozi, however, did not wish to linger: "The fire in the furnace has not yet gone out; it is inconvenient for this humble Taoist to sit for long."

The immortals bowed again: "Respectfully bidding farewell to the Supreme Dao Ancestor."

The Jade Emperor bowed and kowtowed, Laozi offered a slight helping hand, flicked his whisk, and rode away on a cloud.

When everyone returned to Lingxiao Palace, the atmosphere inside was extremely heavy and so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly.

Laozi's appearance this time is of profound significance. The immortals who were originally indifferent to this matter have now begun to secretly speculate about the mystery behind it.

The Jade Emperor spoke in a deep voice: "Where are the Great Emperor Tai and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

Immediately afterwards, the celestial officials of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's Palace and the Sun Star Lord stepped forward to respond.

"Your Majesty, the King of Thailand left the palace three days ago and has not returned since."

"Your Majesty, Sun Wukong went out yesterday and has not returned yet; his whereabouts are unknown."

The Jade Emperor then said, "Thousand-mile Eyes and Wind-Following Ears, go and investigate immediately."

The two responded and stepped forward, focusing their minds and using their magic to look down at the mortal realm below.

A moment later, a report came in: "Your Majesty, the demons on Flower Fruit Mountain are holding a grand feast, with tables laden with celestial delicacies and exquisite wines. The Great Emperor and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven are among them, enjoying themselves to the fullest."

The immortals listened in silence and shook their heads. Not only did they steal the food, but they even brought the celestial feast back to the mountain to continue enjoying it; it was utterly unscrupulous.

No one said anything more, and they waited for the Jade Emperor to make a decision.

Most people had already concluded that Huaguo Mountain was doomed and was only a matter of time before they had to send troops.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing could no longer contain himself and stepped out of the train.

"Your Majesty, the two demon kings of Flower Fruit Mountain have disregarded the rules of Heaven and desecrated this grand event. They not only disrupted the Peach Banquet but also stole the Golden Elixir of the Supreme Dao Ancestor. I request permission to lead the expedition and punish them on behalf of Heaven."

The Jade Emperor sat high on his platform, not responding. Li Jing knelt down, his heart trembling slightly.

He suddenly regretted it—had he responded too hastily?

A moment later, a deep voice came from inside the hall:

"Minister Li's loyalty and righteousness are exemplary, and I grant your request. I hereby command the Third Prince Nezha, the God of Wealth (both civil and military), the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Nine Luminaries, the Five Directions Protectors, the Four Duty Officers, the Eastern and Western Constellations, and all the Heavenly Star Officials, in conjunction with the Thunder Department, Fire Department, Dipper Department, and Plague Department, to command 100,000 heavenly soldiers, lay down eighteen layers of heavenly nets, and descend to the mortal realm to capture the demon."

The immortals were all astonished upon hearing the order. This formation was even more magnificent than before.

All four major war ministries of the Heavenly Court were mobilized, a scale unprecedented since the Investiture of the Gods.

The Jade Emperor then said, "Minister Li, you are hereby appointed as deputy commander. Prepare the troops for battle."

Li Jing was overjoyed and wanted to express his gratitude, but suddenly realized something was wrong—the deputy commander?

He raised his head hesitantly: "Your Majesty, may I ask who the commander-in-chief is?"

The Jade Emperor slowly opened his lips:

"True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor!"

These words caused a change in the entire hall. Even Li Jing's expression turned slightly serious.

Although his magical powers were ordinary, he was adept at cultivating good relationships and had connections in both Buddhism and Taoism, thus holding a high position and great power in the Heavenly Court. Whenever there was chaos caused by demons in the mortal realm, he was usually the one to lead the suppression, and he had wiped out countless demonic dens.

However, the True Martial Demon-Slaying Emperor is one of the very few beings who can overpower him.

This person is not merely holding an empty title, but is one of the four legitimate emperors, assisting the Jade Emperor in ruling the Three Realms, subduing all demons and evil spirits, and suppressing the Netherworld and Fengdu. At the mere mention of his name, all demons and ghosts submit, and all monsters tremble in fear.

Since the Investiture of the Gods, the four continents have been in turmoil, and great demons have run rampant. The True Martial Emperor left the Heavenly Court and took up residence in the Southern Continent. Over the course of a thousand years, he slew countless monsters, and all demon kings were reduced to ashes by his sword.

On two occasions, the ancient demon gods of Beiju Luzhou were resurrected, both possessing the cultivation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, stirring up a monstrous catastrophe, and were ultimately annihilated by Zhenwu with thunderous means.

Today, the people of Jambudvipa are thriving, and demons dare not act recklessly. Even those who eat people are afraid to do so, all because Zhenwu's might shakes the region.

Immediately, a celestial official thought to himself: His Majesty summoned Zhenwu as the commander-in-chief, clearly indicating that he was enraged and determined to destroy Flower Fruit Mountain in one fell swoop.

Knowing he couldn't argue, Li Jing could only respectfully accept the order. But then he thought about it again and was secretly pleased: with Zhenwu in command, Huaguo Mountain was bound to be defeated, and his old grudge would finally be avenged.

After the court session, he left the Lingxiao Palace, took the tiger tally, mobilized troops, and made urgent preparations for the expedition.

Meanwhile, in Flower Fruit Mountain, Ye Feng and the Heavenly Monkey had been back on the mountain for nearly a month.

Every day, the monkeys practiced military drills here. After drinking the celestial wine, their muscles and bones were transformed. They diligently cultivated without ceasing, and several of them broke through their shackles, stepped into the path of immortality, and were promoted to commanders in the army.

On this day, the Sky Monkey was playing carefree in the forest, completely unaware that disaster was about to befall him.

Suddenly a little demon came running: "Great Sage, the Great King requests that you come to the palace to see him immediately."

The Monkey King leaped down from the treetop, scratching his head in confusion: "Why did you call me, Senior Brother?"

He turned around and shouted, "Men, keep practicing! I'll test your skills when I get back!"

Before the words were even finished, he somersaulted to the top of the mountain, landed lightly, and headed straight for the crystal-clear, jade-like Yiyuan Palace. He pushed open the door and called out:

"Senior brother! I, Old Sun, have arrived!"

Ye Feng was sitting quietly on a cloud bed, with a clean futon he had obtained from the Heavenly Treasury beneath him.

This object has no power of wind, fire, or thunder, but it greatly aids in cultivation, making one's consciousness clear, accelerating enlightenment, and even making the deduction of heavenly secrets more precise.

Seeing the Heavenly Monkey barge in so recklessly, he couldn't help but laugh and scold:

"You impudent monkey, what are you yelling about?"

The Monkey King grinned and stepped forward to stand still.

Ye Feng said solemnly, "Just now I deduced the secrets of heaven and sensed a murderous intent. The Heavenly Court has probably already assembled a large army and will arrive soon."

The Heavenly Monkey scoffed, "Let them come! Last time, Li Jing led the team, bringing along the Heavenly Court's main force and two Great Luo Immortals, and we still drove them away!"

Ye Feng said in a deep voice, "How can you still be so arrogant? I just calculated that you are about to face a great calamity."

The Monkey King was taken aback, then immediately tensed up and hurriedly asked:

"Senior brother, what kind of tribulation is it? Can it be overcome?"

Ye Feng chuckled inwardly—this monkey is both vain and afraid of death.

Using the word "robbery" to scare him always works.

He said softly, "What I see is not very clear either, only a hazy Buddha light. You will suffer imprisonment. If you want to avert it, get closer."

The monkey hurriedly went forward.

Ye Feng lowered his voice: "When you see that great Buddha, do this, like this..."

After saying that, he asked, "Did you remember that?"

The monkey nodded eagerly, "I've got it all! I've memorized it all!"

Ye Feng nodded in satisfaction, then took out a jade disc and handed it over: "You must keep this safe. Don't ask any questions. You must wear it close to your body and never let it out of your sight."

The monkey took it with both hands and solemnly hid it in its bosom.

On Flower Fruit Mountain, drills were held daily, and shouts of battle echoed through the sky.

How could the Dragon King of the East Sea, who was so close at hand, be completely unaware?

He sent people to investigate and learned that Ye Feng and the monkey had rebelled against the Heavenly Court again and were preparing for war in case the Mandate of Heaven suddenly arrived.

Old Long secretly rejoiced, repeatedly praising himself for his composure.

Before the matter of Ao Luan had subsided, Ye Feng and that monkey were summoned to the Heavenly Realm and appointed as the Great Emperor Tai and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, enjoying unparalleled glory.

At that moment, he felt regret and thought to himself: If only Ao Luan had joined his sect earlier, he would have had someone to rely on.

Therefore, he intended to observe and wait. If Ye Feng could truly establish himself in the Heavenly Court, he would wait for Ao Luan to come of age and then go to become her disciple, as promised.

Who would have thought that in just a hundred years, the two of them would rebel and descend from the Heavenly Court, shocking him so much that his soul would be scattered.

What terrified him even more was that a friend from Heaven secretly reported that the Jade Emperor was furious this time, and even the Supreme Dao Ancestor was alarmed, personally ordering the True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor to lead the expedition.