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

They are not afraid of war.

These monkeys were born on Flower Fruit Mountain and grew up in Water Curtain Cave. After Wukong returned from his apprenticeship, he personally taught them cultivation, martial arts, armor, and weapons, allowing them to live a carefree life.

They had no concept of the Jade Emperor, only the two Great Kings.

There should be no fear of the "heavenly army's expedition"—weren't we driven back last time?

But this time, the atmosphere was completely different.

A sense of oppression permeated the air, as if the sky had lowered and all things were holding their breath.

As long as one is alive, one can feel that heavy oppression every day.

The morale of Huaguo Mountain is declining day by day.

Ye Feng has been secluded deep within the palace for the past few days, focusing on cultivation and ignoring the disturbances of the outside world.

The drills in the mountains were all presided over by Sun Wukong and the Black Bear Spirit.

On this day, Ye Feng was meditating in his quiet room when he suddenly sensed a strange movement in the heavens and earth. His mind trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Meanwhile, on Flower Fruit Mountain, Wukong was leading his monkey soldiers in practicing battle formations.

Suddenly, a yellow wind swept across the land, blotting out the sun; purple mist rose, darkening the world.

Looking up, one could see dark clouds churning in the sky, layer upon layer, rolling in with immense force.

People are hidden among the clouds, stretching as far as the eye can see.

The thunderous roar that followed seemed to strike the very soul, making the weak demon soldiers tremble.

Before even reaching the mountaintop, some monkey demons with shallow cultivation were already terrified and lost their composure, their weapons falling to the ground with a rustling sound.

Wukong looked up and saw that in front of the cloud formation was none other than Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and behind him were all the famous and renowned gods of the Heavenly Court.

The four Heavenly Lords of the Thunder Department, Fire Department, Fighting Department, and Plague Department were all present.

His heart tightened, and he was about to order preparations for battle—

A figure silently appeared beside him.

Ye Feng stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky, and chuckled: "There are even more people here this time than last time. The Jade Emperor has brought almost half of the Heavenly Palace's wealth."

His tone was gentle and composed, his smile serene, yet he seemed to possess a strange power that instantly calmed the minds of the Black Bear Spirit, the Four Monkey Generals, various commanders, and even the Demon Kings of the Seventy-Two Caves.

After watching for a while, Ye Feng noticed that the monkeys were in low spirits, so he immediately raised his hand and said, "Send the order to have someone go up to the top of the mountain and beat the Kui Niu drum."

General Beng responded and quickly ascended to the summit. Soon after, a deafening roar erupted from the mountaintop, like the furious roar of an ancient thunder god, shaking the heavens and the earth.

As the drumbeats rolled down, the previously listless monkeys suddenly felt a surge of heat in their hearts, their blood rushing through their veins, and their previous depression and fear instantly dissipated.

As his blood and qi surged, he felt as if his power was inexhaustible, and his limbs and bones were filled with fighting spirit.

Many others, possessing the bloodline of the spirit monkey, swelled up, their fur stood on end, and they roared to the sky, their voices echoing through the valleys.

In contrast, the clouds in the sky were slightly disturbed as the drumbeats sounded. Although they quickly returned to calm, the previously thunderous and oppressive sound had been completely suppressed.

"Li Tianwang, that's the Kui Niu drum."

Beside Li Jing, a burly deity holding a pipa spoke in a low voice.

It was none other than Dhritarashtra, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, who was also known as Mo Li Hai.

Li Jing nodded slightly, parted the clouds and looked down. He saw that the demons of Flower Fruit Mountain were in high spirits, their fighting spirit burning like fire, encouraged by the sound of drums.

He pondered for a moment, then gave the order: "Pass on my military command to set up camp in the southern sky above Flower Fruit Mountain and await the arrival of the True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor."

Once the order was given, the auspicious clouds turned south and moved slowly.

A moment later, the heavenly soldiers took out their barrier artifacts and erected a stable space in the void. Tents were set up everywhere, and the gods settled in one after another.

On Flower Fruit Mountain, the demons watched coldly. The Black Bear Demon frowned and said, "Why is Li Jing being so cautious today? Even if he doesn't take advantage of the situation to attack, he should at least send someone to stop the drumming."

Having learned the inside story from Di Ting, Ye Feng chuckled and said, "Presumably, their commander-in-chief hasn't arrived yet, so they dare not start a war without authorization."

The black bear spirit's eyes lit up, and he chuckled in a low voice, "If that's the case, why don't I, the old bear, infiltrate the enemy camp tonight and launch a surprise attack, killing a few of their gods and blunting their morale!"

Ye Feng smiled slightly: "I won't stop you if you want to go, but you have to make it clear first—the people coming from Heaven this time are all ruthless characters."

There were at least five Taiyi Golden Immortals standing behind Li Jing just now. I also saw a person dressed in festive clothes with a gold ingot painted on his head; that was Zhao Gongming, who had already attained the status of Daluo Golden Immortal.

Not to mention that you've fought against Nezha, the Third Prince, and all the Heavenly Lords and True Gods from the Thunder Department, Fire Department, Fighting Department, and Plague Department are gathered here.

Oh, and all twenty-eight constellations have arrived. If these people join forces, even Wukong will have a hard time gaining the upper hand.

besides……"

"Stop! Stop!"

The black bear spirit hurriedly waved his hands, his face turning as black as the bottom of a pot: "No, no! I, the old bear, won't go, okay!"

Silent all night.

The next morning, the Heavenly Court camp slowly unfolded. Suddenly, auspicious clouds rose from the distant horizon, and the phantom images of a tortoise and a snake coiled up and broke through the sky.

Ye Feng and Sun Wukong were both staring intently at the sky, and their eyes narrowed upon seeing this.

Ye Feng had already learned from Di Ting that the Jade Emperor had personally selected Zhenwu Dangmo Emperor to lead the expedition.

Zhenwu is one of the Four Emperors, holding a high position and great power. Even the Jade Emperor's edict can be disobeyed, but he must obey the decrees of the Three Pure Ones.

However, since the Jade Emperor rules over the Three Realms, under normal circumstances, the Four Emperors would not easily disobey his will.

Amidst the strange phenomenon of the tortoise and snake, a figure stood atop the giant tortoise, moving with lightning speed, and arrived before the Heavenly Court camp in a matter of breaths.

Sun Wukong's expression changed slightly, and he murmured, "The True Martial Demon-Subduing Emperor?"

Only now did he realize who the commander was.

On the contrary, the Black Bear Spirit and the Four Monkey Generals remained calm.

They were either demon kings of Xiniu Hezhou or natives of Huaguo Mountain. Although they had heard of Zhenwu's name, they had no personal experience with him.

Ye Feng chuckled lightly, "Since they're here, it wouldn't be right to send them away."

Meanwhile, in the heavens, Zhenwu arrived, and Li Jing led his men to greet him, all bowing in respect.

Li Jing stepped forward with a smile: "It's been a long time. Your Majesty's demeanor remains as elegant as ever. With you in charge, Flower Fruit Mountain will be pacified in no time."

Zhenwu, dressed in a black Taoist robe, appeared to be middle-aged and spoke with humility: "King Li, you flatter me. I am new to this place and unfamiliar with the situation of Huaguo Mountain. I have heard that you once led an army to conquer it. I hope you can tell me more about it."

Li Jing's expression stiffened slightly. The last expedition not only failed but also resulted in a crushing defeat, with the two Great Luo Golden Immortals, Chisongzi and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, perishing in the battle—a true disgrace.

However, he knew that Zhenwu did not intend to humiliate him, so he could only force a smile and respectfully invite him into the main tent.

The various righteous gods who accompanied him entered together, with Zhenwu sitting in the main seat, and Li Jing beginning to explain the situation at Flower Fruit Mountain.

The key figures mentioned are Ye Feng and Sun Wukong.

In his view, the other monsters, though they had some tricks up their sleeves, were not a threat and could be easily wiped out.

As the explanation progressed, the outline of the True Martial Emperor began to take shape in his mind.

His eyes were slightly lowered, and his tone was calm: "I have long resided in the Southern Continent and know little about the current situation in the Heavenly Court, but I have heard some things. In my early years, the Jade Emperor personally appointed a Great Emperor Tai, who was in charge of the power of light in the Three Realms."

I had originally intended to return to the Heavenly Court to meet again someday, but I never imagined our first encounter would be under such circumstances.

Li Jing chuckled lightly: "Your Majesty need not take it to heart. Although that Emperor Tai has received the Emperor's favor, he has forgotten his roots and betrayed his virtue, ungrateful for the bounty bestowed upon him by Heaven. He is originally a demon, and his wild nature has not been eradicated. He should be executed with thunderous force to serve as a warning to others and to deter others in the Three Realms."

The True Martial Emperor nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

He then stood up and said, "In that case, let us form ranks and meet the enemy, and see who is better than Huaguo Mountain."

He stepped out of the command tent and issued the order. One hundred thousand heavenly soldiers responded and set out, laying down eighteen layers of nets, one after another, completely surrounding Flower Fruit Mountain.

The gods rose up on the clouds and gazed into the distance.

Li Jing stood beside him and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Golden Crow in Flower Fruit Mountain is a powerful cultivator and skilled in unorthodox arts. In the previous battle, it created a thick fog that obscured the sun, but was eventually broken by the sound of the Kui Niu drum. If we rashly launch a strong attack, we may be ambushed. It would be better to send the Nine Luminaries Star Lords to challenge them and test their strength before making any further plans."

Zhenwu shook his head and said, "While King Li's concerns are indeed comprehensive, I am ordered by the Great Heavenly Venerable to subdue the rebellious demons, and we cannot delay any longer. We must fight swiftly and decisively to capture the traitors and return to the palace to report back as soon as possible. I am worried that if we stay away from Nanzhan for too long, the demons there will stir up trouble and cause further disaster."

Having said that, he immediately gave the order:

"Nine Luminaries, heed my command—descend to the mortal realm and challenge that Monkey King. In the battle, you may only lose, not win; you must lead him westward."

Where are the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and the Eastern and Western Constellations?

"We are here!" Several immortals and gods responded in unison, bowing and stepping forward.

Zhenwu said, "You should set up an ambush in the west. Once the Nine Luminaries are defeated, immediately surround and trap the Monkey King. There's no need to seek victory; simply delay his movements. If you succeed, that will be the greatest achievement."

"Yes, sir!"

The group clasped their hands in acceptance of the order and quickly headed to the western frontier.

Zhenwu called out again: "True Lord of the Mysterious Altar".

A lazy voice came from the crowd: "This humble Taoist is here. I wonder what Your Majesty's orders are?" Zhao Gongming, dressed in a red robe, looked listless and casually cupped his hands, as if he had just woken up from a dream.

Zhenwu was not angry. He knew that this person's cultivation was unfathomable. In the past, during the Investiture of the Gods, he fought alone against all sides, but was later ambushed by Daoist Lu Ya, which led to his being listed on the Investiture of the Gods and thus restricted. Although he was bound by the Investiture of the Gods and could not advance even an inch for a thousand years, he was still one of the few Great Luo Golden Immortals in the Heavenly Court.

If I weren't the commander-in-chief today, I would still respectfully address him as "fellow Daoist".

So he said solemnly, "I request that True Lord Xuantan conceal himself and go to the West. There is no need to show your face. If the Twenty-Eight Constellations and others can stop the Monkey King, then there is no need to take action; if they cannot stop him, I hope that True Lord will take action to stop him for a moment."

Zhao Gongming waved his hand: "No problem, no problem, it's a small matter." Before he finished speaking, his sleeves fluttered lightly, and his figure vanished without a trace.

With the deployment finalized, Zhenwu turned his attention to the main formation.

Where is the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas Gathering?

Nezha stepped forward from the crowd and bowed respectfully.

"Third Prince, once the Monkey King is lured to the west and surrounded, you shall lead the main force to charge and attack straight into the heart of Flower Fruit Mountain. The Twelve Zodiac Animals will accompany you to help you break the formation."

Nezha opened his mouth as if to speak, his eyes darting around, but seeing that the situation was already decided, he could only lower his head and agree:

"I obey."

Zhenwu then summoned: "Grand Tutor Wen and Luo Xuan."

Wen Zhong and Luo Xuan stepped forward to receive orders.

"Once the Third Prince launches his surprise attack, the demons of Flower Fruit Mountain will surely be thrown into chaos. According to Li Tianwang, that Thai Emperor is both wise and brave, and well-versed in military strategy..."

If we are strong and they are weak, they will surely know to avoid the strong and attack the weak, intending to directly target the commander.

"You shall lie in wait in the shadows, and when they attack, immediately deploy a thunder and fire array to seal off the void and cut off their retreat."

The two accepted the order in unison.

Luo Xuan hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, when we fought against the Emperor Tai, his supernatural powers were immense, and ordinary thunder and fire could hardly harm him. I'm afraid the power of the Thunder Department and the Fire Department alone will not be enough."

Zhenwu smiled calmly and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright. You only need to isolate the laws of heaven and earth here so that they cannot escape."

If he dares to come before me in person—I will personally accept this battle.

After giving the orders, he then appointed the generals.