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

He quickly retreated, his heart filled with horror: "This monster is incredibly powerful! Could this Weak Water be...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the voice of the Bodhi Patriarch came from afar: "Laojun, act quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Laozi made a hand seal, and the purple-gold-red gourd shone brightly, causing the Weak Water to surge towards Jiang Wang like a tide.

Jiang Wang remained calm and composed. With a flick of his body, he transformed into a phantom, and Ruoshui missed her target.

Standing atop the hill, his robes fluttering in the wind, he laughed and said, "What a remarkable Laozi! However, I, Jiang, am somewhat familiar with the tricks hidden in this gourd!"

With a flick of his finger, the gourd flew back into his hand on its own, and the Weak Water surged back, sweeping towards Sun Wukong and the distant Sumeru Formation.

The mountain air was filled with ever-changing winds and lurking dangers, but Jiang Wang's gaze remained calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

Jiang Wang stood atop Pingdingshan Mountain, the wind whipping his robes, making them flutter loudly.

The mountain mists flowed slowly like gauze, obscuring the distant peaks and leaving only the nearby jagged rocks, which exuded a chilling and desolate aura.

A faint, fishy smell permeated the air—the scent of the Weak Water, cold and eerie, as if capable of eroding all life.

Jiang Wang's gaze was calm, but a barely perceptible wariness lurked deep within his pupils.

The moment Sun Wukong's spirit returned to his body, a crisis quietly descended.

Sure enough, the air on the mountaintop suddenly tightened, and a purple-gold light burst forth from Sun Wukong's hand. It was the Purple-Gold Red Gourd, its precious light swirling, and a stream of pitch-black Weak Water spewed from its mouth.

The Weak Water surged forth with overwhelming force, like a roaring black dragon, carrying an aura of devouring everything, and enveloped Jiang Wang in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Wang's pupils contracted slightly, but his body did not move an inch.

With a thought, he activated four layers of "time reversal".

His talent quietly took hold.

Time seemed to stand still in that instant; the sound of the wind, the flow of clouds and mist, and even the trajectory of the gushing Weak Water all became slow and clear in Jiang Wang's eyes.

His consciousness was like an invisible ripple, flowing upstream against the river of time.

The scenery of Pingdingshan began to recede, the black dragon of Ruoshui rolled back into the gourd, and Sun Wukong's movements were like a scroll being played in reverse, slowly returning to the moment when he had just summoned the gourd.

For a full four seconds, it was as if the heavens and earth had been manipulated by an invisible hand, returning to their original state.

Jiang Wang stood still, his robes still fluttering in the wind, and the surrounding clouds, mist, and strange rocks remained unchanged.

Only his memory clearly preserved the crisis that had just occurred.

He looked down at his palm, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

The ability to reverse time is indeed one of the most mysterious powers in the world.

He looked up and his gaze swept towards Sun Wukong.

At this moment, Sun Wukong was holding the purple-gold gourd with a smug look on his face, completely unaware that time had been manipulated and his memories had been reset.

"Jiang Wang brat, watch how I, Old Sun, deal with you with this gourd!"

Sun Wukong laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the mountains, tinged with a hint of mockery.

The gourd in his hand once again spewed out weak water, the black water cascading down like a waterfall, rushing straight towards Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained expressionless.

This time, he didn't need to use time reversal.

Because he had already seen through the trajectory of the Weak Water and figured out Sun Wukong's methods.

Meanwhile, outside the South Heavenly Gate, Nezha leaned against his Wind Fire Wheels, gazing listlessly at the mortal realm below.

Suddenly, he frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Just now, he clearly saw Sun Wukong summon the gourd on Pingding Mountain, but in the blink of an eye, Sun Wukong's figure seemed to "repeat" again.

It was as if time had been momentarily severed.

Nezha rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself, "What's that monkey up to now? Am I seeing things?"

He scratched his head, but finally couldn't suppress his curiosity. He rode on his Wind and Fire Wheels, wanting to go down to the mortal realm to find out what was going on.

High above, deep within the clouds, several powerful figures sat amidst auspicious clouds, surveying the commotion at Pingdingshan.

The Bodhi Patriarch, dressed in a green robe, gently swayed his whisk, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

The Jade Emperor sat upright behind the jade table, his brows furrowed with a touch of majesty.

The Buddha sat cross-legged on a golden lotus, his appearance solemn and dignified, yet a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes.

Laozi stroked his white beard, holding a jade slip in his hand, his expression complex.

"How strange! How bizarre!"

Patriarch Bodhi spoke first, his voice deep and inquisitive, “Just now Jiang Wang was clearly enveloped by the Weak Water, but in the blink of an eye he was unharmed, and even his breathing was not disordered.”

Could it be that he possesses some kind of protective treasure?

The Jade Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "The Weak Water is the most insidious thing in the Three Thousand Worlds, and even a Golden Immortal's body can hardly resist it."

Jiang Wang is merely a mortal; how could he have escaped so easily? There must be something fishy going on here.

The Buddha clasped his hands together, uttered a low chant, and slowly said, "Did you all notice that the energy of Pingdingshan seemed to be interrupted for a moment, as if the heavens and earth were being manipulated?"

This humble monk dares to speculate, could it be... that this child has mastered the laws of time?

Upon hearing this, a moment of silence fell over the clouds.

Bodhi Patriarch paused with his whisk, Haotian Emperor's eyes shone brightly, and Taishang Laojun suddenly raised his head, his gaze like lightning, piercing straight at Jiang Wang below.

The Law of Time is one of the most profound forces in the Three Realms; even saints can only scratch the surface of it.

If Jiang Wangzhen can truly master this path, then his potential is enough to shake the Three Realms.

After pondering for a moment, Laozi gently tossed the jade slip in his hand, which transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for Pingdingshan.

He whispered, "Try it again, and we'll know if it's true or not."

Before he finished speaking, the stream of light had already fallen into Sun Wukong's hand and transformed into a new purple-gold gourd.

With a thought, Lao Jun caused the gourd to spew out Weak Water again, even more fiercely than before, directly approaching Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang was prepared. He lightly stepped forward and dodged away like a ghost. The Weak Water brushed past his clothes and landed on the rocks, instantly corroding the hard rock into dust.

He chuckled inwardly; Laozi was indeed unwilling to give up and insisted on testing him to the very end.

He decided to stop hiding his abilities, forming hand seals, and an invisible wave of time rippled out from his body.

The Weak Water surged back once more, time rewound four seconds again, and heaven and earth returned to their origin.

Above the clouds, a look of shock flashed in Laozi's eyes.

He stood up abruptly, nearly crushing the jade slip in his hand, and whispered, "It really is time reversal! This boy... can actually reverse time!"

To verify this completely, he had another thought and directly detonated the purple-gold gourd in Sun Wukong's hand.

The gourd exploded, turning into countless fragments, which swept in all directions with terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations.

However, Jiang Wang merely smiled coldly, and the time reversal was activated again. The fragments flew backward, the gourd reformed, and everything seemed as if nothing had happened.

This scene completely shocked the bigwigs on the cloud.

Patriarch Bodhi sighed, "This boy has mastered both time and space."

Such talent is unparalleled in the Three Realms.” The Buddha nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, “This child should not be underestimated. We must report back to the Sage and find another solution.”

The Jade Emperor and Laozi exchanged a glance, both seeing deep apprehension in each other's eyes.

On the flat-topped mountain, Sun Wukong was completely unaware of the ripples in the clouds.

Seeing that Jiang Wang had escaped danger time and again, he had some doubts in his heart, but he didn't think much of it.

He chuckled, took a hair from his pocket, and with a gentle blow, it transformed into a fake gourd.

He held up the fake gourd and said loudly, "You brat Jiang Wang, this gourd of mine can hold the heavens and the earth. Do you dare to try it?"

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow, a playful look on his face.

Sun Wukong is about to put on a show of "pretending to be a god".

That's a trick.

He feigned alarm and cupped his hands, saying, "Great Sage, your divine powers are vast; I admire you."

"I wonder what mysteries lie in this method of 'containing the heavens'?"

Sun Wukong saw that Jiang Wang had "taken the bait".
Overjoyed, he quickly began chanting incantations.

Upon receiving the signal outside the South Heavenly Gate, Nezha pouted, still unhappy about being "tricked" by Sun Wukong earlier.

After a brief explanation, he still followed instructions and unfurled the black-carved flag.

In an instant, the black flag covered the sky and the world was plunged into darkness, as if the entire Pingdingshan Mountain had been put into a gourd.

Jiang Wang remained calm and secretly used the laws of space.

An invisible barrier spread from his body, instantly enveloping the entire Pingdingshan.

Within the barrier, space is stretched infinitely, isolating external light, sound, and even spiritual energy fluctuations.

Sun Wukong, completely oblivious, still proudly held up the fake gourd and said loudly, "Jiang Wang, are you convinced now? If you want to release the heavens, then beg me, old Sun!"

Jiang Wang feigned panic, cupped his hands, and said, "Great Sage, your divine power is beyond my comprehension! I beg you, Great Sage, to grant me mercy!"

He sneered inwardly. This spatial barrier was meticulously set up by him. Not to mention Sun Wukong, even the Emperor himself might not be able to detect it easily.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong triumphantly chanted a spell to instruct Nezha to retrieve the flag.

However, the barrier isolated everything, and Nezha couldn't receive any signals at all.

The world remained dark. Sun Wukong waited for a while, but there was no light. He began to get anxious.

He recited the incantation several more times, but there was still no response, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He chuckled dryly and said, "Well... it's easy to put the sky in, but difficult to release it. The gourd's mouth is probably blocked. Let me, Old Sun, try again!"

Jiang Wang suppressed a laugh, but put on an anxious expression and urged, "Great Sage, hurry up, don't keep this boy in this darkness any longer!"

Sun Wukong grew increasingly anxious, chanting the incantation dozens of times, but still no dawn broke.

He finally couldn't contain himself any longer, and his primordial spirit left his body, heading straight for the Heavenly Realm, intending to settle accounts with Nezha.

However, he was unaware that Jiang Wang's spatial barrier had already turned Pingdingshan into an isolated island, and his primordial spirit was unable to break through the barrier at all, and could only wander around inside the barrier like a headless fly.

Half an hour later, Sun Wukong's mentality completely collapsed.

His spirit returned to his body, and he glared at Jiang Wang in a fit of rage, roaring, "Jiang Wang, you brat, did you use some trick? How could my gourd malfunction?"

Jiang Wang shrugged and said innocently, "Great Sage, you jest. I am but a mortal. How could I possibly damage your treasure?"

Sun Wukong was so angry he was jumping up and down, but there was nothing he could do.

He scratched his head, but ultimately couldn't do anything about Jiang Wang.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Jiang Wang was too lazy to play along with him any longer.

With a thought, he dispelled the spatial barrier, and light returned to the world.

He casually swept the scattered fragments of the purple-gold gourd into his sleeve and laughed, "Great Sage, what skill! This humble one takes his leave!"

After saying that, he flashed and transformed into a streak of light, heading straight for Chang'an City.

Sun Wukong stood there stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. He stomped his foot in anger, almost collapsing the flat-topped mountain.

Jiang Wang returned to Chang'an and settled in a secluded courtyard.

He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing for a moment. Suddenly, a crisp notification sound rang in his mind: "Ding! Mission 27 completed. Reward: Innate Treasure Devouring Gourd, plus one chance to draw a prize."

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He looked down at his hand; the purple-gold-red gourd had been refined by him and transformed into a new Heaven-Devouring Gourd, its precious light flowing, faintly revealing the power to devour heaven and earth.

He gently stroked the gourd and murmured, "Time, space, devouring the heavens... these three realms are about to become lively."

Jiang Wang stood at the edge of the hidden realm of Chang'an City. The air around him seemed to freeze, carrying a faint sense of heaviness.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his spiritual energy surging like a river, slowly flowing into the crimson gourd he held in his palm.

This gourd was no bigger than the palm of my hand, its entire body shimmering with light and color. A faint purple aura swirled around its mouth, as if it were swallowing and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth. It was none other than the innate treasure—the Heaven-Swallowing Gourd.

Jiang Wang's consciousness sank into it, and he felt only chaos. The inside of the gourd formed its own world, boundless and limitless, seemingly able to contain all things.

As soon as he had a thought, a system notification sounded in his mind: "Refining the Devouring Heaven Gourd requires five million experience points. Confirm?"

Jiang Wang's lips curled up slightly, and he said without hesitation, "Confirmed."

In an instant, five million experience points were drawn from his body like flowing water, turning into streaks of golden light that disappeared into the gourd.

The gourd's surface shone brightly, and countless mysterious runes appeared on its crimson shell, resembling the movement of stars or the traces of the Great Dao.

Jiang Wang felt a jolt in his soul, as if he had established a mysterious connection with this treasure.

He could clearly sense that the space inside the gourd was constantly expanding, with the potential to devour the heavens and earth.

The system voice sounded again: "The Heaven-Devouring Gourd has been successfully refined. It can devour the pure energy of heaven and help the host control the foundation of the heavenly realm."

Warning: The pure energy will dissipate, and the celestial realm will be reduced to nothingness. The host must use this with caution.

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them.

The pure air of heaven? The void of the celestial realm? He looked down at the gourd, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

The system continued, "The thirty-three layers of land in the Heavenly Realm were obtained from the division of the Primordial Continent in the early days of the Heavenly Dao, and contain the power of the Primordial Origin."

If the host wishes to reshape the Celestial Realm, they must use the Devouring Heaven Gourd to reclaim the Pure Qi and reverse the Heavenly Dao's arrangement.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's heart stirred, and his gaze pierced through the mist of the hidden realm, looking towards the horizon.

He seemed to understand something and murmured, "So that's how it is. The Heavenly Realm is nothing but a fragment of the primordial world... In that case, I will make this heaven return to where it belongs."

Meanwhile, deep within Mount Ling, inside the Mahavira Hall, bathed in golden light, the atmosphere was exceptionally solemn.

Bodhi Patriarch sat cross-legged on a futon, his hair and beard all white, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Opposite him, the Buddha sat on a lotus throne, his golden body shining brightly, and the Buddha's light behind him transformed into thousands of auspicious colors, illuminating the entire hall as if it were a pure land of crystal.

The Jade Emperor and the Supreme Lord Laozi sat on either side, all four with solemn expressions, as if discussing a major matter concerning the Three Realms.

The Bodhi Patriarch spoke first, his voice deep yet carrying an undeniable authority: "The barrier of Pingding Mountain is exceptionally sturdy. In my observation, even with our combined strength, it would take us ten thousand years to break it." (End of Chapter)