I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

The man in white had already put down his folding fan, taken the wine pot handed to him by the waiter, tilted his head back and drank heartily, not caring that the wine was flowing down his throat and wetting his clothes.

His unrestrained and unconventional demeanor drew a hint of admiration from Jiang Wang.

"Poetry is a minor art; talent is the fundamental thing."

Jiang Wang's voice was deep and resonant, "This person has extraordinary talent and a pure heart. If he can withstand the test, he may very well become a sharp sword for our human race."

Upon hearing this, Chang'e raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips: "A test? What are you up to now? Are you trying to create another Azure Lotus Sword Immortal?"

Jiang Wang did not answer, but simply picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and looked as deep as the night, as if he could see into the distant future.

Just then, a low rumble suddenly came from outside the restaurant, the ground trembled slightly, and the cups and saucers clattered.

The crowd downstairs was stunned at first, then exclaimed in surprise, with someone shouting, "The earth dragon has turned over!"

Jiang Wang frowned slightly, put down his wine glass, and got up to walk to the window.

On the streets of Chang'an, pedestrians scattered like a tide, vendors' goods were strewn all over the ground, horses neighed, and dust flew everywhere.

In the distance, roof tiles slid off and crashed onto the bluestone slabs, making a crisp cracking sound.

Jiang Wang's gaze pierced through the clamor and landed on the outskirts of the city, where an invisible force seemed to surge between heaven and earth, carrying a hint of eeriness.

Li Bai was also standing on the high platform at this moment. He had already put down the wine pot in his hand, and the drunkenness on his face had disappeared, replaced by a look of deep sorrow.

Looking at the disheveled state of the people on the street, anger flashed in his eyes, and he muttered to himself, "Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs... Even this prosperous place, Chang'an, has suffered such a calamity."

He turned abruptly and shouted into the restaurant: "Gentlemen, do you know why this earthquake occurred? Could it be that the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Emperor intend to punish the people with this?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's eyes flickered slightly, and he gave Chang'e a wink.

Chang'e understood, and in a flash, she transformed into a beam of moonlight, silently landing beside Li Bai.

Her voice was cold and dignified: "Li Bai, if you truly have a chivalrous heart, then come with us to find the truth behind this earthquake, shall we?"

Li Bai was taken aback. He looked up at the private room and saw Jiang Wang standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

He was startled, and for some reason, he felt that the man had an irresistible aura.

He cupped his hands and said, "May I ask who you two immortals are? If you can relieve the people from their suffering, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!"

Jiang Wang smiled slightly, and with a flicker of his figure, he teleported with Chang'e and Li Bai to the outskirts of Chang'an.

Before me lay a desolate wilderness, with withered grass and trees, and jagged rocks. In the distance, the mountains had been split open by the recent earthquake, and the dust had not yet completely settled.

Jiang Wang's gaze swept across the surroundings, and he said in a deep voice, "Li Bai, do you know that this earthquake is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one?"

Li Bai was taken aback, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Man-made disaster? Could it be that someone can manipulate the power of heaven and earth?"

Jiang Wang did not answer, but simply raised his hand and pointed. A golden light flashed in the void, and the ground suddenly cracked open. A local earth god wearing a yellow robe and a square crown was forced out, stumbling and falling.

The local earth god was short in stature, his face filled with panic, and he held a jade ruyi in his hand, with faint runes flowing on it.

Upon seeing Jiang Wang, he was terrified and knelt down, begging for mercy: "Immortal, spare my life! I was only following orders and had no intention of harming anyone!"

Upon seeing this, Li Bai's eyes blazed with fury.

Though he was a mortal, he possessed a natural chivalrous spirit. Upon hearing this, he roared in anger, "Acting on orders? You little landowner, how dare you manipulate the earth's veins and harm the people of my Great Tang! I will not be at peace until I kill you today!"

With a flick of his folding fan, it transformed into a long, gleaming sword, which pierced straight into the Earth God's chest.

The local earth god cried out in alarm and tried to use magic to defend himself, but he felt an invisible force suppressing him and rendering him unable to move.

Jiang Wang stood aside and secretly made a hand seal to help Li Bai.

Before the local earth god could even scream, Li Bai pierced him with his sword, and he vanished into a wisp of green smoke.

The earthquake then stopped, and the distant mountains and fields gradually returned to calm.

Li Bai sheathed his sword and stood there, his chest heaving, but his eyes held a hint of bewilderment.

He turned to look at Jiang Wang and whispered, "Immortal, that power just now... was it you who helped me?"

Jiang Wang smiled slightly, stepped forward slowly, and patted Li Bai on the shoulder: "You have a chivalrous heart, courage, and extraordinary talent."

I am Jiang Wang, a celestial master of the human race. Today, having witnessed your character, I wish to take you as my disciple and impart to you the path of immortality.

"Would you be willing to cultivate with me and become a Green Lotus Sword Immortal for eternity?"

Upon hearing this, Li Bai was taken aback at first, then his eyes flashed with intense light.

He bowed deeply to the ground, his voice resounding: "If I can follow the immortal master and save the common people from suffering, I am willing to give my life!"

Jiang Wang nodded, raised his hand and waved it, and a portal of light opened in the void.

He led Li Bai and Chang'e into it, and the scene before them changed, becoming a hidden realm shrouded in clouds and mist.

Within the hidden realm, the Three Pure Ones' avatars sat atop the clouds, their auras vast and boundless like the sea.

Li Bai felt his mind tremble, as if he were enveloped by the endless Great Dao.

Jiang Wang said leisurely, "From now on, you will stay here and cultivate the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts with the Three Pure Ones' avatars."

This skill is infinitely profound; if you can comprehend it, you will become the next Azure Lotus Sword Immortal of the human race.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wang's true form had transformed into a white robe and a monk's hat, disguising himself as a man named "Fahai".

The monk.

He held a Zen staff in his hand, the tip of which shimmered with golden light and faintly emitted the sound of a dragon's roar.

He traveled through the mountains and fields, and wherever he went, he would call out "Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon".

The technique was used to slaughter all the mountain gods, land gods, and city gods that the Heavenly Court had placed within the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

These deities are all pawns used by the Heavenly Court to control the mortal realm. They usually act arrogantly and domineeringly, but secretly manipulate natural disasters and harm the people.

Jiang Wang's eyes flashed with cold light. With each swing of his staff, a soul fell and turned into green smoke.

He knew in his heart that the Heavenly Court's actions were due to the failure of the previous flood and drought plan, which led them to mistakenly believe that he had perished.

Enraged, the Jade Emperor sought to retaliate against humanity by causing natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides to reduce the population of the Tang Dynasty.

Jiang Wang sneered and slammed his staff heavily on the ground, causing cracks to appear, revealing the golden body of the City God.

With a single palm strike, the golden body shattered, and before the City God could even utter a terrified plea for mercy, his soul had already vanished.

Inside the Heavenly Court's Lingxiao Palace, golden light shone brightly, and auspicious clouds swirled around.

The Jade Emperor sat high on his dragon throne, a smug look on his face, looking down at the immortals below.

His voice was authoritative, with a hint of satisfaction: "The human race has dared to defy the heavens. This earthquake and landslide will surely teach them that the might of the heavens cannot be defied!"

The immortals on His Highness had different expressions. The immortals who were of human origin, such as the Great Emperor Ziwei and the Thunder God Puhua Tianzun, all showed grief and indignation, but dared not speak because of the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip.

Tianxi Star Yin Shou stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the mortal people are innocent. The earthquake has far-reaching consequences and may harm the harmony of Heaven. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider!" Upon hearing this, a hint of anger flashed in the Jade Emperor's eyes. He raised his God-Slaying Whip, and Yin Shou immediately groaned and knelt down.

The Jade Emperor said coldly, "Yin Shou, you, the last human king, dare to question my decree? Say another word, and I will surely make your soul vanish!"

Yin Shou gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, but dared not speak again.

Just then, the all-seeing eye and the all-hearing ear rushed into the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, the mountain gods, land gods, and city gods within the Great Tang territory have all been slaughtered, seemingly by a monk named 'Fahai'!"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and exclaiming, "How dare the Buddhist sect ruin my grand plan! Tianxi Star, immediately take ten heavenly soldiers to the mortal realm and capture this fiend!"

Yin Shou was shocked, but he could only accept the order and leave.

Jiang Wang had now completed the massacre of gods throughout the Tang Dynasty. Standing atop the highest peak of Fusang Continent, he looked down upon the life force extinguished by the calamities of the Heavenly Court.

This land was once fertile and abundant, but now it is scarred and devastated, with dried-up rivers and withered vegetation.

A look of pain flashed in his eyes, and he said in a low voice, "Since the Heavenly Court is so cruel, I will clear out a pure land for the human race."

He already had a plan in mind: to relocate the people of the Central Plains to this place and revitalize Fusang.

On the way back, Jiang Wang suddenly felt the void tremble, and ten golden lights descended from the sky, transforming into ten heavenly soldiers who surrounded a celestial general wearing golden armor.

The celestial general was none other than Yin Shou of the Heavenly Star of Happiness. He looked at Jiang Wang with a complicated expression and said in a deep voice, "Fahai, your crime of slaughtering the gods of the Heavenly Court is unforgivable. Surrender at once!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's gaze sharpened, and he recognized Yin Shou's identity.

He spoke slowly, his voice as cold as a passing wind: "Yin Shou, the last human king, do you still remember the will of the human race? If you wish to return to the human race, I can sever the shackles of the Investiture of the Gods for you."

Upon hearing this, Yin Shou trembled, a look of struggle flashing in his eyes.

He gripped the spear tightly, but hesitated to move.

Jiang Wang's eyes were sharp as he quietly awaited his decision.

Jiang Wang sat upright in a stone chamber deep within the hidden realm, surrounded by flickering blue lamps. The dim yellow light cast mottled shadows on the stone walls, as if telling the story of the weight of time.

The stone chamber was small, and the air was filled with a faint sandalwood scent, mixed with the unique cool atmosphere of the secluded realm, which made people clear-headed.

Jiang Wang's gaze fell on Yin Shou opposite him, his brows furrowed with a hint of mockery, yet also revealing a profound and unfathomable meaning.

Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Palace.

Inside the hall, golden light shone brightly, with nine dragons coiled around pillars soaring into the sky. Amidst swirling auspicious clouds, celestial music drifted, seemingly to make this solemn place even more sacred.

However, the atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive that even the celestial music seemed to carry a hint of gloom.

The Jade Emperor sat high on his nine-tiered throne, his dragon robe shimmering with golden light, which accentuated his majestic appearance, yet could not conceal the fleeting anger in his eyes.

Below, the immortals stood on both sides, heads bowed, each holding their breath, afraid of offending the emperor.

"Tianxi Star was captured, the Heavenly Army was annihilated, and all the land within the Tang Kingdom was destroyed!"

The Jade Emperor's deep voice, carrying an undeniable authority, resounded throughout the hall: "What a humiliating disgrace! What remains of the prestige of the Lord of the Three Realms?! Issue my decree: immediately dispatch troops to destroy the Tang Kingdom and capture Fahai alive!"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

The immortals looked at each other, their gazes shifting among themselves, but none dared to speak.

The Jade Emperor's gaze slowly swept over the immortals in the palace, his anger intensifying. He lightly tapped the armrest of his throne with his fingers, each tap like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the immortals.

Wenqu Xingjun gritted his teeth, finally steeled himself and stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I believe this matter should not be acted upon lightly."

Jiang Wang was on good terms with the Tang Dynasty. He was a cunning and scheming man who once single-handedly killed nearly four million immortal-level experts in the Three Realms. He also secretly left a backup plan for the human race.

If we rashly send troops, it might damage the Heavenly Court's fortune, and the losses would outweigh the gains!

Upon hearing this, the immortals in the hall nodded secretly, for what the God of Literature said made sense.

Jiang Wang's name was already renowned throughout the Three Realms; he was a ruthless character whom even the Heavenly Emperor had to be wary of.

However, the Jade Emperor sneered upon hearing this, slamming his hand on the armrest, causing the golden light in the hall to tremble: "Insolence! Jiang Wang is but a mortal, yet he dares to challenge the majesty of the Heavenly Court, and you all try to exonerate him?! If we do not destroy Tang, what face will remain of me? What will remain of my reputation as the ruler of the Three Realms?!"

The God of Literature turned pale upon being rebuked, and quickly lowered his head, daring not to speak again.

The Jade Emperor's gaze swept over the assembled immortals once more, and he said in a deep voice, "Who is willing to lead the army to pacify the Tang Kingdom and capture Fahai?"

Although the voice was calm, it carried an invisible pressure that made the immortals and gods in the hall almost unable to breathe.

However, the Jade Emperor was met with silence.

The immortals bowed their heads, some pretending to straighten their robes, others their eyes darting around as if avoiding the Jade Emperor's gaze.

Mu Zha felt a surge of warmth in his heart and was about to take a step forward when Nezha grabbed him from the side.

Muzha turned around and met Nezha's teasing gaze. He heard Nezha say in a low voice, "Don't be silly, whoever takes this job is doomed."

Mu Zha was taken aback and was about to retort when he saw Nezha quietly pulling him away.

After the court assembly, Nezha and Muzha returned to their residence. Muzha couldn't help but ask, "Third brother, why did you stop me just now? If we could lead the army to destroy Tang, it would be a great achievement!"

Upon hearing this, Nezha leaned back lazily in his chair, his Wind Fire Wheels spinning gently in his hands, and sneered, "Big brother, do you really think the Jade Emperor wants to send troops? Humph, he's just putting on a show for the Three Realms!"

Mu Zha was taken aback, and frowned, asking, "What do you mean?"

Nezha sneered and lowered his voice, saying, "Who is Jiang Wang? Everyone in the Three Realms knows how ruthless he is. If the Jade Emperor really wanted to destroy Tang, he would have already appointed generals. Why would he be shouting here? He's afraid of losing troops and generals and wasting the Heavenly Court's fortune! This court assembly is just for show. Whoever actually takes on this task will likely be punished by the Jade Emperor later!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Zha's expression changed slightly. After careful consideration, he realized that Nezha's words were indeed reasonable.

The immortals' silence was not out of fear of Jiang Wang, but rather because they fully understood the Jade Emperor's intentions and were all cooperating with this "conquest of Tang."

The drama.

Mu Zha sighed and murmured, "Has the Heavenly Court... really become like this?"

Meanwhile, in the hidden realm, the conversation between Jiang Wang and Yin Shou continued.

The dim light of the lamp in the stone chamber cast flickering shadows on Yin Shou's face.

He looked down at his hands, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of resentment and despair.

Seeing this, Jiang Wang's lips curled up slightly, and he slowly said, "Yin Shou, do you really think the Investiture of the Gods can trap you for life?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Shou looked up at Jiang Wang and said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, please don't tease me."

The Investiture of the Gods is an instrument of Heaven's will; our true spirits are recorded upon it, and our lives are not in our own hands. How can we possibly escape it?

His voice was low and tinged with self-mockery, as if he had resigned himself to his fate.

Jiang Wang, however, did not take it to heart. He smiled lightly and took out an ancient jade seal from his sleeve. The seal was surrounded by dragon energy and faintly contained the power of endless humanity.

Upon seeing this object, Yin Shou's pupils constricted sharply, and he exclaimed, "The Kongtong Seal?!" (End of Chapter)