Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

After leaving the palace, Wutian flew with Sun Wukong to the Heavenly Court to find out what was going on.

Sun Wukong asked, "Why do we need to go there first? Or is the Dragon Spring Sword in Heaven? How do you know that?"

Li Xiuyuan replied: "Your master follows the wondrous path of freedom."

Having thought this through, Wukong said nothing more...

Li Xiuyuan also harbored a lingering thought: to take this opportunity to first understand the current situation in Heaven. With the Buddha's passing not far off, Wutian would undoubtedly need to make some careful plans. "I'd like to see what he does," he thought. "After all, it's my own evil corpse. An increase in strength and intelligence would greatly benefit my future path to Heaven and even the Great Dao."

"Alright, let's see who's faster!" With that, Sun Wukong somersaulted and soared into the sky.

Seeing this, Li Xiuyuan was not to be outdone and used his spatial abilities to leave the monkey head behind.

Before long, they arrived at the Heavenly Court. Sun Wukong and his companion stood beneath the South Heavenly Gate, remarking with emotion, "Back then, the days of wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Palace were truly exhilarating."

Li Xiuyuan thought to himself, "Then my rampage through the Heavenly Palace must be incredibly exhilarating."

But he still responded, "Yes, those were carefree days, but someone was imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain by that little Buddha for hundreds of years," he teased.

Sun Wukong retorted defiantly, "Now you try calling Buddha to come and see what happens! I, Old Sun, will beat him to a pulp!"

On their way to the Heavenly Palace, the two saw a figure resembling the Buddha ahead. Li Xiuyuan then concealed his aura and went forward.

Maitreya Buddha said, "Wukong, I already know why you came, but you two should go back first."

Wukong, with his fiery temper, retorted: "Why! We were ordered by Emperor Wu of the Tang Dynasty to retrieve the Longquan Sword."

Buddha shook his head: "Seeing that you two are so determined, I will tell you that this matter seems to involve the Jade Emperor, so you should go back."

Wukong was already annoyed, and upon hearing this, he said, "What does it matter, you old Jade Emperor!"

He added, "We are going to investigate the case of the Jinghe Dragon King."

But Maitreya Buddha still wouldn't give way, and Sun Wukong pulled out his golden cudgel, ready to break through.

Upon seeing this, Maitreya Buddha sighed, "You monkey, you still have such a violent temper."

Li Xiuyuan, meanwhile, stood by, watching the fight unfold. After three hundred rounds, the Buddha took away Wukong's golden cudgel. He then stepped forward and grabbed the monkey, who angrily exclaimed, "You're going to be the death of me!"

But then Li Xiuyuan said to Maitreya Buddha, "Do you still remember me?!"

Chapter 825 White Dragon Beats Up the Coward; Wude West Sea Demands People

The Longquan sword disappeared without a trace, and the reason for the murder of Longwan in the Jinghe River was unknown.

That day, the son of the Martial Virtue Star Lord, whose strength was only at the Celestial Immortal level, relied on his father's True Immortal Perfection realm to bully others and act tyrannically.

Upon seeing this scene on his way home after being separated from Tang Sanzang and his companions, the White Dragon was filled with righteous indignation. After all, he was the son of the Dragon King of the West Sea, and having endured the hardships of the journey to the West, his strength had already broken through to the mid-stage of True Immortal. His mind, having undergone trials, had reached the perfection of True Immortal, and now he only lacked the opportunity to break through to the mid-stage of True Immortal.

Seeing that Wood's son was harassing a palace maid who was powerless, he didn't say anything more and stepped forward to deliver a groin kick to Wood's son's lower body.

"I, Little White Dragon, am going to teach you a lesson today on behalf of your father. If you have any trouble, come find me in the East Sea," White Dragon said, rubbing his hands together.

That's why a fool is a fool after all!

After the heavy blow, Wood's son clenched his legs, clutching his wound. As he fled, he still uttered a threat: "I'll remember this grudge. I'll be back sooner or later." Then he made his escape.

Seeing this, the little white dragon wanted to chase after it, but was held back by a palace maid.

The palace maid blushed, her expression shy and bashful, not daring to look directly at the little white dragon. She tugged at her clothes, saying, "Thank you so much for saving me today, young hero."

Seeing this, the little white dragon stopped pursuing her and turned to face the palace maid. She had beautiful black hair, a slender figure, and was carrying a plate of fruit. He was momentarily lost in thought.

"Young master! Young master!" the palace maid exclaimed.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Little White Dragon finally snapped out of his daze. Then he said, "Is this guy always like this? Doesn't anyone do anything about it?"

The palace maid, who had initially been cheerful, turned sorrowful again when the matter was mentioned: "This son of Lord Wood Star has bullied us quite a bit. But because of his father, how can we weak women fight back?"

Little White Dragon: "Lord Wood? Is he very powerful? I'll definitely stand up for you guys when I get the chance, and teach that cowardly son of his a lesson while I'm at it."

The palace maid said, "No, sir, please don't get into trouble. Thank you for your help today."

After saying that, he paced away.

The little white dragon watched the departing figure and shouted, "Don't be afraid, I will definitely stand up for you." Then he muttered, "That coward is just someone who picks on the weak." He then transformed into a white dragon and flew towards the West Sea.

A few days ago, Wood Star Lord's son was caught red-handed by the White Dragon while harassing a palace maid. After being severely beaten, he went home and complained loudly to his father. His crying was truly pitiful.

"Father, that little white dragon doesn't respect you at all. Knowing full well that I am your son, Lord Wood, he disregarded your dignity and beat me severely. Look at all these wounds on my body, they were all inflicted by him. If you don't avenge me, I won't live anymore!" The cowardly man told Wood in a threatening tone.

Then he pretended to be in pain, lying on the ground and looking at Wood with pitiful eyes, but in his heart he was thinking, "This time my father will definitely avenge me. Little White Dragon, just you wait. You dare to hit me? I'll make you regret it for three lifetimes."

"My child, do not be afraid. Your father will surely avenge you!" Seeing his child writhing in pain and looking miserable, Lord Wood's mind went blank. Without thinking, he blurted out, "You dare to hit my man? I will make you pay! Little White Dragon, you will pay the price!"

After saying this, he flew alone to the Dragon Palace of the West Sea to demand an apology from the little white dragon.

Wood arrived at the West Sea Dragon Palace with an imposing manner. Upon seeing Wood Star Lord, West Sea Dragon King Ao Qin stepped forward with a smile: "Martial Virtue Star Lord, what brings you to my humble abode today? I am truly flattered."

Although Ao Qin was the Dragon King of the West Sea, he was a rank lower than Wu De Xing Jun in both official position and strength, so he bowed and scraped and obeyed his orders.

Seeing this, Wu De thought to himself, "It seems Ao Qin doesn't know about his son's situation yet, but judging from his attitude, there shouldn't be any problem." He then feigned anger and seriousness, saying, "Your young master, Little White Dragon, has quite the temper! He severely injured my son and even threatened, 'Come find me in the West Sea if you have any problems.' That's why I've come to demand an explanation from you."

Upon hearing this, Ao Qin's face turned pale with shock: "Such a thing has happened! This kid is really out of his mind. Tell me, how do you want to deal with him? I'll listen to you."

This subservient demeanor caught the eye of the little white dragon hiding behind the curtain, who thought to himself, "Father is such a jerk, not caring about right or wrong." He then stepped out with a determined air.

He shouted at the two old men, "Father, you believe everything you hear and refuse to distinguish right from wrong, so you want to hand your child over to this old scoundrel! You have truly disappointed me."

Ao Qin: "You brat, you went on a pilgrimage and now you think you're so great? You've done something wrong and you still think you're right?"

Little White Dragon: "That's his cowardly son. All he does is bully others with his power. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I took action!"

Ao Qin: "Stop talking. Now that the Martial Virtue Star Lord is here, apologize and beg for his forgiveness, and I will consider this matter forgotten!"

Seeing that Ao Qin believed him completely, Wood said, "If you, Little White Dragon, can apologize, then this Star Lord can let this matter drop." He had heard about his son's usual misdeeds.

To everyone's surprise, Little White Dragon straightened his back and said, "Don't even think about it! Don't even think about me apologizing to that scumbag."

With that, he transformed into a white dragon and departed: "Father, if you won't help me, others will surely believe me!"

Seeing this, Ao Qin turned to Wood and said, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Star Lord. I will definitely let this kid have his way."

Before he could finish speaking, Wood said with dissatisfaction, "Dragon King of the West Sea, you don't need to blame yourself too much. I believe you can distinguish right from wrong in this matter. If you agree to let me handle it, I will not hold your family in the West Sea accountable."

Upon seeing this, Ao Qin burst into laughter, revealing a cowardly demeanor comparable to that of Wu De's son: "Alright, I'll obey the Star Lord's decree and teach that brat a lesson. But please, Star Lord, show mercy!" After all, the little white dragon was his child, and if he were truly harmed, he, as the father, would feel terrible...

Chapter 826 Wu De's Deceptive Imperial Edict: The Jing River Dragon King is Slain

After hearing the words of the West Sea Dragon King, Wu De Xing Jun (God of Martial Virtue) said, "Don't worry, as long as your son repents, I won't hold it against him." Wu De readily agreed. But in his heart, he thought, "I'll be afraid of you rotten! You think you can hold back?"

After leaving the West Sea, the White Dragon flew to the Jing River to seek solace from his uncle, the Jing River Dragon King. Thinking of his good-for-nothing father, he was filled with resentment. So, upon seeing the Jing River Dragon Bay, he said aggrievedly, "Uncle, you must stand up for your nephew! My father made me apologize to that Martial Virtue Star Lord without even asking what happened."

"Don't worry, nephew, I will definitely stand by your side and not let anyone bully you," the Jinghe Dragon King said righteously.

Little did they know, a dangerous conspiracy orchestrated by Wu De was closing in on them.

After leaving the Western Sea, Wu De turned around and arrived at the Heavenly Palace, the Cloud Palace.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor was watching the palace maids play music and dance in the Cloud Palace. Upon seeing Wu De, his refined mood was spoiled, and he said with displeasure, "Martial De Star Lord, what is it you want?"

"Jade Emperor, you must do justice for Xiao Jun! That little white dragon, whose power has greatly increased after obtaining the scriptures from the West, beat my son so badly that he was seriously injured. You must give Xiao Jun justice!" Wu De, relying on his acting skills, made the story sound incredibly convincing, demonstrating his growing ability to distort the truth.

Seeing that Wu De wouldn't leave without an imperial decree, the Jade Emperor issued one: "The White Dragon has severely injured the son of Wu De, so he is hereby arrested and brought to justice."

After receiving the decree, the Martial Virtue Star Lord left the Cloud Palace with three kowtows and nine prostrations. At this moment, the Jade Emperor was still enjoying his pleasures, unaware that he was awaiting a conspiracy a thousand, even ten thousand times greater than this matter. This incident would become the fuse that ignites the Demon Corpse Wutian's domination of the Three Realms.

After receiving the imperial decree, Wu De Xing Jun (the God of Martial Virtue) ordered, "Lead the heavenly soldiers and generals to the Jing River to capture the White Dragon and bring him to justice." In reality, however, he was thinking of how to legitimately kill the White Dragon on the way, thus making his version of events the only version everyone believed.

Meanwhile, the little white dragon, seeking solace, was explaining the matter in detail to his uncle at the Jing River.

Upon hearing this, the Jinghe Dragon King exclaimed indignantly, "How dare you bully others like this!" However, he turned to his nephew, the White Dragon, and praised him, "As expected of my nephew, the Jinghe Dragon King, you stepped forward to help those in need. You are the pride of our dragon clan."

As the saying goes, it's not always the righteous who live long lives, but rather those who are cunning and treacherous who often live to be a hundred. (Here, "a hundred" refers to a long lifespan, not the actual age of 100.)

The Heavenly Soldiers and Generals led by Wude Xingjun arrived at the Jing River and shouted above it: "The sinner Little White Dragon, relying on his power to bully others, severely injured Wude Xingjun's son with his mid-stage True Immortal strength. He is now captured and brought back to the Heavenly Court for punishment."

In the Dragon Palace beneath the Jing River, the little white dragon, upon hearing this, wanted to go and tell the truth. Seeing that the little white dragon's intentions were ill, the Jing River Dragon King took him along.

Above the Jing River, heavenly soldiers and generals, led by the God of Martial Virtue, had already surrounded it.

Wu De: "Little White Dragon, if you're not skilled enough, please do so!"

Little White Dragon: "Wu De, you've been protecting your rebellious son. Today I'll test just how powerful you, Wu De Star Lord, really are, since your arrogant son dares to commit such evil deeds without fear."

The Jinghe Dragon King naturally sided with his nephew, knowing the White Dragon's character well. However, seeing that the other party had come prepared, he said, "Martial Virtue Star Lord, is there some misunderstanding here? Why don't we sit down and talk?"

But Wu De wouldn't listen: "There's no misunderstanding. I advise you to tell Xiao Bailong to surrender, otherwise..." Wu De's face was full of arrogance.

Little White Dragon: "Uncle, step back and let me have a go at Wu De. I haven't had much practice since we went to retrieve the scriptures. Today is a good opportunity to let them see what I'm capable of."

The Dragon King of the Jing River whispered, "No, the enemy has a large and powerful force."

The white dragon said, "Why not? How could a lowly person like him possibly taint the dignity of a dragon prince?" After saying that, he transformed into a white dragon and charged towards Wu De.

Seeing this, Wu De was not to be outdone. However, experience counts, and he casually flicked out a throwing knife, then wielded his giant axe and slashed at the White Dragon.

The little white dragon, a member of the Eight Heavenly Dragons, was full of vigor and never expected that Wu De would use a hidden weapon to injure someone. He spewed out blazing flames and surrounded Wu De. But there was no trace of the flying knife.

Meanwhile, the Jinghe Dragon King, with his rich battlefield experience, transformed into a dragon to block the treacherous flying knife for the little white dragon.

The little white dragon belatedly realized that the Jinghe Dragon King had been hit by a flying knife, so he transformed back into human form and flew over: "Uncle, why did you take this hidden weapon for me?"

Jinghe Dragon King: "He is at the mid-stage of True Immortal. If I hadn't blocked that flying knife for you, you wouldn't be leaving today."

Little White Dragon: "Uncle!"

With that, the Jinghe Dragon King used all his strength to push the little white dragon away, then faced Wu De alone, unleashing his final attack.