On the Dragon-Slaying Platform, I was executed and became Yang Jian's brother-in-law.

Above the Lingxiao Palace. (Reality)

The Jade Emperor sat on his high dragon throne, his lips twitching slightly, his face as black as if he had just been pulled from the bottom of a pot. He watched as Ao Run pointed at his scars and cursed, and as Ao Shun pointed at the empty Crystal Palace and complained of poverty. The feeling in his heart was truly a mixture of emotions.

"This... has I become the villain?"

The Jade Emperor touched his nose, glancing somewhat awkwardly at his assembled ministers below. Normally, these deities would sing his praises, claiming the Heavenly Court's power extended throughout the land and all races were loyal to it. But now, through this unfolding scene, the veil of pretense was torn away, revealing that in the Dragon Clan's hearts, he, the Great Heavenly Venerable, was nothing more than a ruthless, man-eating monster?

"Taibai," the Jade Emperor coughed, breaking the silence in the hall, "Have I ever been so harsh on the dragon race?"

Taibai Jinxing, eyes downcast and seemingly lost in thought, swung his whisk rapidly, chuckling, "Your Majesty, well... thunder and rain are all divine favors. The dragon race is, after all, of demonic origin, and Your Majesty's strict discipline is to temper their character. However... perhaps you should... tone down the matter of eating dragon liver and phoenix marrow a little in the future?"

The Jade Emperor snorted coldly, but secretly began to make plans in his heart.

If he were to see his subjects harboring such resentment, even daring to shout "rebellion against Heaven" in private, he would certainly send Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, with 100,000 heavenly soldiers to travel the four seas and let them know what the might of Heaven truly means.

But things are different now.

The main conflict now is with the West! That brat Su Bai is going to lead the Dragon Clan to cause trouble in the West and undermine the foundation of Buddhism!

If we were to deal with the Four Dragon Kings now, wouldn't that push our allies away? Wouldn't that make our friends suffer and our enemies rejoice?

"Hmph, speculation is speculation, it doesn't count." The Jade Emperor waved his sleeve, displaying the "magnanimous" breadth of mind of an emperor. "How could I blame my current ministers for things that might happen in the future? These old dragons are confused; I was simply using them because I value them! However..."

The Jade Emperor abruptly changed the subject, a shrewd glint in his eyes: "Since the Dragon Clan feels their treatment is too low, why not offer them a raise? Issue my decree that dragon liver be removed from all future Heavenly banquets. Furthermore, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas shall be promoted one rank and granted the honors of Heavenly Gods!"

"I want them to know that only by following me will they have food to eat! As for going to the West... that's for them to get rich and seize territory! As the Great Celestial Venerable, I have to lend a hand!"

Upon hearing this, all the immortals secretly praised: "Your Majesty's tactics are truly masterful! He's using sweet words to sharpen the Dragon Clan's blade even further, so he can deliver a vicious blow to the West!"

……

Just as the Jade Emperor was busy winning over the hearts of the people, the scene in the water mirror, as predicted by Laozi, changed once again.

This time, it's no longer the Dragon Palace in the deep sea, but a celestial paradise shrouded in mist and fraught with hidden dangers—a secluded cloud platform outside the Dou Niu Palace.

In the scene, Yang Chan, dressed in a light blue palace gown and holding a lotus lantern, stands alone on a cloud. Opposite her stand four stunningly beautiful yet menacing female immortals.

It was none other than Doumu Yuanjun, the Golden Spirit Holy Mother, and the Three Immortal Maidens!

This is the first formal meeting between Su Bai's "current" and "former" leaders, and a crucial negotiation that will determine Su Bai's future allegiance.

The air seemed to freeze, and even the flowing clouds remained motionless under this terrifying aura.

"Why is the Holy Mother of the Three Kingdoms not enjoying blessings at Mount Hua, nor accompanying her husband at the North Sea, but has come to this Dou Niu Palace? What brings her here?"

Lady Yunxiao spoke first, her voice clear and cold like an icy spring. Although she didn't use any harsh words, her aloofness was impossible to hide.

After all, in their eyes, Yang Chan was the one who "stole" Su Bai's home. In his previous lives, Su Bai had been entangled with the Jie Sect, but in this life, Yang Chan beat him to it.

Yang Chan remained expressionless, her gaze sweeping over the four powerful figures of the Jie Sect before her. There was no fear in her eyes, but rather an air of arrogance that suggested she was in complete control.

"I'm not here to compete with you for favors, nor to listen to you reminisce about the past."

Yang Chan cut to the chase, her voice clear and powerful, "I've come to bestow upon your Jie Sect an immense fortune, and also for... Fusu Bai's ascension to sainthood!"

Upon hearing the words "becoming a saint," the Golden Spirit Mother's slightly narrowed phoenix eyes suddenly opened wide, and the brilliant light that burst forth in that instant seemed to pierce the sky.

"To become a saint?" The Golden Spirit Mother sneered, lightly tapping her jade ruyi against her palm. "Such arrogance. With what? With that lamp in your hand?"

"With the key to the 'Western Rejuvenation' that I hold in my hands!"

Yang Chan stepped forward, her aura imposing. "Su Bai desires to occupy the West and inherit the karma of Daxing. But this game is too big; the two of us alone cannot conquer it. I need allies, a force capable of standing up against Buddhism, even against the sages."

"The Jie Sect is the best choice."

Bixiao couldn't help but interject, "Hmph, you're smart enough to know you can't leave our Brother Jianling's family!"

"Don't misunderstand." Yang Chan glanced coldly at Bi Xiao, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "I'm here to make a deal. I can get Su Bai to reserve half the seats for the Jie Sect in the future Western Sect. Your fellow disciples who were taken to the West can use this opportunity to leave Buddhism and return to the Jie Sect. Even... you few can use this merit to break free from the shackles of the Investiture of the Gods!"

Upon hearing this, both the Three Immortals of Sanxiao and the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit were shaken.

To escape the Investiture of the Gods! This is something the immortals of the Heavenly Court's Intercepting Sect have dreamed of for countless years!

"What are the conditions?" Yunxiao remained calm, knowing that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Yang Chan took a deep breath, her gaze sharpening like a knife, and said, word by word, "There's only one condition—after it's done, you must leave Su Bai! Completely sever all ties with him, give him peace, and give me back my complete husband!"

boom!

This statement was like lighting a powder keg.

The previously restrained atmosphere on the cloud platform instantly turned murderous.

"presumptuous!"

Qiongxiao's golden dragon scissors instantly transformed into two ancient dragons, roaring deafeningly in the air. "Yang Chan! Who do you think you are? How dare you make us leave Brother Jianling? He's family we watched take human form and grew up with! You just got lucky in this life, and you really think you're the rightful wife?!"

Bixiao even summoned the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron, her face flushed with anger: "Big sister, don't waste your breath on her! Take her, throw her into the Yellow River Formation, and cut off her three flowers on her head. Let's see if she still dares to be so arrogant!"

Even the usually composed Golden Spirit Mother was now covered in frost, her body radiating starlight, exuding the pressure of a peak Quasi-Saint.

"Yang Chan, you've got a good plan. You want to use the power of our Jie Sect to elevate your man, then kick us aside?"

The Holy Mother Jinling looked coldly at Yang Chan, as if she were looking at an arrogant junior. "You underestimate me, Jinling, and you underestimate Su Bai too much. Do you think he's the kind of person who would abandon his past and his feelings for the sake of becoming a saint?"

Despite her pale face, Yang Chan managed to withstand the pressure from the four quasi-saints. The Lotus Lantern in her hand emitted a seven-colored divine light.

"He's unwilling, so I'm playing the villain!" Yang Chan gritted her teeth and said, "Loyalty? Can loyalty feed us? Can loyalty save him from this predicament? If he doesn't sever these messy karmic ties, how can he attain the Primordial Dao Fruit? If you truly care about him, you should let go!"

"fart!"

The Golden Spirit Mother unleashed a torrent of profanity, exuding domineering power, "Who says becoming a saint requires severing all emotions and abandoning love? That's the old path of the Supreme Being of Forgetfulness, and my disciple won't follow it! If he wants to become a saint, we'll help him! If he wants the West, we'll take it! But we'll take his people too!"

"We, the Intercepting Sect, have seized this opportunity for the great prosperity of the West! But we cannot accept these conditions!"

The Golden Spirit Mother strode up to Yang Chan, looking down at her condescendingly. "Yang Chan, don't try to play tricks on us. You want to help him become a saint? Fine! We'll join you! Not for you, but for him! As for who he ultimately chooses, that's his business, and it's none of your concern!"

The three immortals also stepped forward together, standing behind Jin Ling to show their stance.

"Yes! We'll join! But we'll never leave!"

Looking at the four stubborn women in front of her, Yang Chan's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness, but more so with a cunning look of someone who had succeeded in their scheme.

"Alright." Yang Chan put away the Lotus Lantern, and the tense expression on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a faint smile. "Since all of you sisters are willing to go to the West for your husbands, then Yang Chan... couldn't be happier."

The women were taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Was Yang Chan trying to provoke me just now?

……

In the real world, the various factions across the three realms reacted differently to this grand drama of "women forcing the emperor to abdicate."

Western sacred mountain.

The Buddha looked at the five female immortals who had formed a "united front" in the scene, and the muscles at the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

"Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with..."

Buddha cursed inwardly. This wasn't a breakdown in negotiations; it was a complete success! If these five women joined forces, plus that wretched Su Bai, this lineup… was even more troublesome than the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation of yesteryear!

But he maintained his feigned composure, even giving a disdainful laugh: "Heh, a bunch of rabble. Do you really think a few women can shake the foundations of Buddhism? Laughable, laughable."

However, the eyes of Dipankara, Maitreya, and others below were filled with suspicion as they looked at Tathagata.

You're laughing? You can still laugh now? Didn't you see that they even included the Investiture of the Gods in their calculations?

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple.

Zhen Yuanzi, the Great Immortal, stroked the Earth Book, his eyes brimming with longing: "This prediction... if it's true, then could I perhaps get involved? If I can help Su Bai achieve sainthood, I can receive a ten or twenty percent of the merit from the great prosperity of the West, and there will be hope for resurrecting my old friend Hongyun!"

The Netherworld Blood Sea.

The Styx Ancestor was even more eager for battle, his two swords, A Yuan Tu and A Bi, humming loudly: "Good! Good! Chaos is just what I want! These girls have such courage, how can I, their ancestor, fall behind? When the great calamity begins, that will be the day I, their ancestor, wash away all the blood from Mount Ling!"

Meanwhile, in a corner of the Heavenly Court, Yang Chan, the Three Immortal Maidens of Sanxiao, and the Golden Spirit Mother, though in different places, felt an indescribable tacit understanding and impulse rising in their hearts as they looked at the scene in the water mirror.

"Deduction is ultimately just a deduction."

In reality, Yang Chan watched this scene, a resolute glint in her eyes, "But if that outcome can truly make him a saint, truly free him from the fate of being a pawn..."

"Then this plan works!"

"Let's do it!"