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

The interface shimmered with light, and lines of information came into view: Host: Jiang Wang
Talent: Chaotic Sacred Body (can be upgraded with 19 Yuan Dao Merit, not yet activated)
Cultivation level: Late stage of Great Luo Golden Immortal

Rules: Law of Time (70%), Law of Space (60%), Law of Five Elements (50%)

Cultivation techniques: *Hun Yuan Dao Jing* (Complete), *Jiu Zhuan Xuan Gong* (Eighth Turn)
Supernatural Powers: Time Dilation, One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, Spatial Barrier, Chaotic Sword Qi

Magical artifacts: Chaos Pearl (not fully refined), Immortal Execution Sword (incomplete), Taiji Diagram (borrowed)

Experience points: 281 million

Human Race Luck: 10 points

Number of draws: 6 regular draws, 0 super draws. Jiang Wang nodded, thinking to himself, "Refining the Chaos Pearl requires 200 million experience points, 5 super draws, plus 20 portions of human luck."

He frowned slightly and sighed, "It's even harder than synthesizing the Heaven-Opening Axe."

The Heaven-Opening Axe requires three fragments of innate supreme treasures and consumes countless resources, while the Chaos Pearl, though in hand, requires a massive amount of experience to refine, making it no less difficult.

With a thought, he said in a deep voice, "System, consume six ordinary lottery draws and eight portions of human race luck to exchange for two super lottery draws."

The system notification sounded, and the values ​​on the interface changed rapidly. The experience points soared from 281 million to 8824 million, and there was one more ordinary lottery draw and two more chances of human luck remaining.

Jiang Wang's eyes flickered slightly as he thought to himself, "I'm still short of over 100 million experience points, which requires three more super draws."

As for the 19 Yuan Great Dao Merit, although he can use it to improve his talent, the demon god has not been eliminated, so the merit should be saved for later use and will not be used for the time being.

Just as I was pondering this, the system suddenly sent a notification: "Detected that Tang Sanzang and his party have arrived at Lotus Cave in Pingdingshan, triggering mission twenty-seven: 'Postponing the Journey to the West'."

Mission objective: Prevent the two demon kings, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, from capturing Tang Sanzang and delaying the journey to the West.

Rewards: One Super Lottery Draw, and five portions of Human Race Luck.

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, his gaze flickering.

Half a month ago, Tang Sanzang and his party set off from Luojia Mountain and have now arrived at Pingding Mountain, where they encountered the two demon kings, Golden Horn and Silver Horn.

According to the woodcutter, these two demon kings were entrenched in the Lotus Cave, intent on capturing Tang Sanzang and eating his flesh and blood to achieve immortality.

Jiang Wang sneered: "Golden Horn and Silver Horn? They're just servants of Laozi, daring to be so arrogant just because they have a few magic treasures."

He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and transformed into a golden light, heading straight for Pingdingshan.

The morning mist, like a veil, lightly shrouded the mountains and fields. The thin mist drifted through the forest, wetting the needles of the pine trees and soaking into Jiang Wang's long robe.

He stood under an old pine tree, his robe trailing slightly to the ground, his dark hair disheveled by the mountain wind, but his eyes were clear and bright, with a hint of amusement, as he gazed at the winding mountain road in the distance.

At the end of the mountain road, a group of figures could be vaguely seen, their monks' robes fluttering, and their golden cudgels gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Those were the four travelers on their journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, slowly making their way towards this nameless mountain.

Jiang Wang's lips curled slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

He raised his hand and gently stroked a crimson gourd hanging from his waist. The gourd's surface had a restrained luster, as if it held endless mysteries.

His gaze didn't linger on the gourd for long, but instead turned to a wisp of empty air beside him, and he said with a half-smile, "System, what kind of problem have you given me this time?"

In the void, a cold and mechanical voice rang out: "Host, the westward journey team is about to enter the Nameless Mountain area. The following mission options are issued: Option 1: Hinder the westward journey team for one day. Reward: One Nine-Turn Golden Pill; Option 2: Provoke Sun Wukong to cause a conflict between him and Tang Sanzang. Reward: Fragment of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang; Option 3: Seize the westward journey team's fortune and integrate it into the Devouring Heaven Gourd. Reward: The Devouring Heaven Gourd's power will be increased by one level."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow slightly and his gaze returned to the Devouring Heaven Gourd at his waist.

He stretched out his finger and gently tapped the surface of the gourd, producing a crisp "ding" sound.

The sound was like striking some kind of indestructible black iron.

He muttered to himself, "Nine-Turn Golden Elixir? It's nothing but a life-extending concoction. The incomplete Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang is interesting, but unfortunately it's just an incomplete piece. Even if I learn it, I might not be able to put it to use."

As for this Heaven-Swallowing Gourd…

He paused, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "It's nothing more than a thankless and troublesome magic weapon. Devouring Heaven? Hmph, it might not even be able to devour a demon king, yet it wants to weaken the Heavenly Dao?"

The system remained silent for a moment, as if considering its words, before its voice sounded again: "Host, although the Devouring Gourd's power is currently limited, its essence is an innate spiritual treasure. If its power is enhanced, it can weaken the suppression of the Heavenly Dao on the host, help the host obtain the fortune of the human path, and its future potential is limitless."

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Jiang Wang's eyes.

He looked down at the gourd, his slender fingers slowly stroking its surface, as if trying to sense the mysterious aura hidden within.

Humanity and destiny... These four words swirled in his mind, like a faint but persistent flame being ignited.

He was not unaware of the invisible shackles of the Heavenly Dao. Ever since he transmigrated to this Journey to the West world, the system had been bound to him, giving him countless opportunities, but also making him vaguely aware of some kind of invisible constraint.

The Way of Heaven is like a net, encompassing all things. Although he can manipulate the world, he can never truly break free from the shackles of that net.

"Weakening the Heavenly Dao..."

Jiang Wang murmured softly, his smile deepening with a hint of cunning, "Interesting, System, you're trying to lure me into doing something big."

He paused, then turned his gaze back to the westward-bound group in the distance, a calculating look in his eyes. "Well, that mischievous monkey Sun Wukong is very clever; it won't be easy to outsmart him."

"Since that's the case, I'll choose this third path: seize their fortune, feed this Heaven-Devouring Gourd, and see what tricks it can pull."

As soon as he finished speaking, the system emitted a soft sound: "Task selection confirmed. Task 3: Seize the fortune of the westward journey team and integrate it into the Devouring Heaven Gourd."

Task deadline: three days.

Failure penalty: The host's cultivation level will regress by one stage.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang scoffed, "Failure? When have I ever failed?"

With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked into the depths of the mountains and forests. His steps were unhurried, but his back exuded an inexplicable pressure, as if the entire mountain wilderness trembled slightly because of his presence.

Meanwhile, the westward-bound procession was slowly making its way along the mountain road.

Tang Sanzang rode on the white dragon horse, gently turning the prayer beads in his hand, and softly chanting scriptures, his expression serene.

Sun Wukong, leaning on his golden cudgel, walked at the front of the group, his eyes sharp as an eagle, scanning the surrounding trees.

Pigsy, carrying his nine-toothed rake, followed behind, grumbling and grunting, occasionally stealing glances at the bundle at Tang Sanzang's waist, as if wondering if there was anything delicious inside.

Sha Wujing carried the load with the steadyest pace, remaining silent and reserved, but his gaze frequently fell upon Sun Wukong, as if trying to fathom his senior brother's thoughts.

A mountain breeze suddenly arose, causing the pines in the forest to rustle. Sun Wukong's nostrils twitched slightly, as if he had smelled something, and he abruptly stopped, a golden light flashing in his eyes.

He turned around and whispered to Tang Sanzang, "Master, there may be demonic energy in these mountains."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang stopped chanting scriptures, looked up at Sun Wukong, and said gently, "Wukong, since there is a demon, you should go and investigate to prevent your master and your fellow disciples from being ambushed."

Sun Wukong did not respond immediately, but instead narrowed his eyes, his gaze wandering through the mountains and forests as if searching for something.

His divine sense had already reached out, covering an area of ​​dozens of miles, but he did not find any obvious traces of demonic energy.

This made him feel uneasy.

He wasn't afraid of monsters; in the Three Realms, there were very few monsters that even Sun Wukong could be wary of. But he had a vague feeling that the strangeness in the mountains was related to that person—Jiang Wang, that mysterious guy who always managed to embarrass him.

"Hmph, that scoundrel Jiang Wang must be up to something again in the shadows."

Sun Wukong muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He fought Jiang Wang several times, but each time it was like punching cotton; he had a lot of supernatural powers but nowhere to use them.

He had already guessed Jiang Wang's purpose to some extent; it was nothing more than to delay the journey to the west and ruin Buddha's grand plan.

But Jiang Wang's methods were always unexpected, making it impossible for him to guard against them.

Just then, an old man dressed as a woodcutter emerged from the forest path, carrying a machete on his shoulder, walking with faltering steps and a look of fear on his face.

Upon seeing Tang Sanzang and his companions, he hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Masters, there is a monster on the mountain ahead, and it is very fierce! A few days ago, some villagers were captured by that monster and have not returned yet."

You'd better take a detour!

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang's face showed compassion, and he was about to ask a question when Sun Wukong snorted coldly, stepped forward, and stared at the woodcutter, saying, "Old man, what are you talking about, you monster? I, your old Sun, haven't seen a trace of demonic aura."

The woodcutter was startled by Sun Wukong's glare and quickly lowered his head, saying in a trembling voice, "Great Immortal, you don't know, that monster is incredibly powerful and has concealed its aura. How could ordinary people see it? I only found out from the villagers."

Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes, looking the woodcutter up and down, when a thought struck him.

Although he did not sense any demonic aura, the woodcutter's appearance was far too coincidental.

He sneered and was about to ask again when he heard Tang Sanzang say gently, "Wukong, since there are demons, you should go and investigate. If you can subdue them, it will be a meritorious deed."

Sun Wukong's mind raced, but a troubled expression appeared on his face.

He suddenly sighed, and tears welled up in his eyes. He whispered, "Master, it's not that I don't want to go, but this monster is probably not simple."

"I, Old Sun...I'm afraid I can't handle this!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Brother Monkey, what's wrong with you? You're usually fearless, why are you acting like a coward today? No matter how powerful that monster is, can it compare to you, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

Sun Wukong glanced at Zhu Bajie, a sly glint in his eyes, but still put on a worried look and sighed, "Second Brother, you don't know, the monsters in these mountains are probably Jiang Wang's men."

I, Old Sun, have fought him many times, and each time I've suffered a defeat. If I rashly attack again this time, I'm afraid I'll fall into his trap.

Upon hearing this, Pigsy scratched his head and muttered, "Jiang Wang? That guy again? Humph, I, Old Pig, am not afraid of him!"

He paused, then patted his chest and said, "Senior Brother, if you're scared, I, Old Pig, will go scout ahead!"

Sun Wukong chuckled inwardly, but his face grew increasingly sorrowful, and he even squeezed out two tears, choking out, "Second Brother, do you know that although patrolling the mountain is a simple job, it is extremely dangerous? That Jiang Wang is cunning and treacherous; if we are not careful, we will fall into his trap."

"Master still needs someone to look after him. If you go, I, Old Sun, am afraid... afraid I won't be able to protect Master!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang frowned and said, "Wukong, in that case, you stay here to protect your master. Bajie and Sha Wujing can go and scout ahead."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately became anxious.

He originally wanted to stay by Tang Sanzang's side and take it easy, but Sun Wukong's words left him with no way out.

He glared at Sun Wukong and said angrily, "Big Brother, you're deliberately trying to trick me, Old Pig! What's so dangerous about patrolling the mountain? It's just walking around and taking a look, right? I'll go, I'll go!"

Sun Wukong was secretly delighted, but on the surface he still pretended to be extremely grateful, cupping his hands and saying, "Second Brother, thank you for your hard work! I, Old Sun, thank you on behalf of Master!"

After saying that, he secretly winked at Pigsy, his eyes full of triumphant smiles.

Pigsy snorted, hoisted his nine-toothed rake, and strode aggressively up the mountain, muttering to himself, "Hmph, I, Old Pig, want to see what tricks that Jiang Wang can pull!"

Seeing this, Sha Wujing silently followed, gripping his staff tightly, but his eyes showed a hint of wariness.

Although he was not good with words, he knew Sun Wukong's temperament and guessed that there must be a deeper meaning behind this arrangement. However, he did not ask any questions and just silently protected Zhu Bajie, preparing to deal with any possible changes.

Tang Sanzang watched Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing's departing figures, sighed, and said to Sun Wukong, "Wukong, why are you getting more and more cunning?"

Sun Wukong chuckled, scratched his head, and said, "Master, I'm just thinking about the bigger picture."

That Jiang Wang is very cunning; I must stay and protect you, lest he resort to any more underhanded tricks.”

Tang Sanzang shook his head and began reciting the scriptures again, but he had a vague feeling that the demonic aura in the mountains was probably not simple.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wang stood on a boulder atop the mountain, looking down at the commotion below.

His divine sense had already locked onto the figures of Pigsy and Sandy, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

He raised his hand and gently patted the Heaven-Swallowing Gourd at his waist, and said in a low voice, "Bajie, Sha Wujing... fine, I'll use you as guinea pigs to test the power of this gourd."

With a flick of his sleeve, an invisible aura emanated from the gourd, transforming into a faint red mist that silently drifted down the mountain.

The red mist appeared thin, yet it possessed a strange suction force, as if it could devour all life.

Jiang Wang's gaze followed, landing on Zhu Bajie's swaying back, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes: "Zhu Bajie, you gluttonous and lustful fool, don't disappoint me."

A mountain breeze began to rise, red mist spread, and a low humming sound faintly echoed through the forest, like some ancient incantation, reverberating between heaven and earth.

The morning mist, like a veil, enveloped the peaks of Pingdingshan Mountain, and the grass and trees on the mountain were covered with dew, glistening with a faint light.

Jiang Wang stood under an old pine tree, his robes fluttering gently in the morning breeze, but his gaze was calm and serene as he stared in the direction of the lotus cave in the distance.

His face was handsome, with a faint smile playing on his lips, as if every rustle of wind and every falling leaf in the mountains was part of his calculations. (End of Chapter)