I'm Dreaming of a Journey to the West

"Your Majesty, since things have come to this, I no longer need any of the rewards you mentioned. Even the rumored diamond bracelet has no interest in me and I don't want to take it for myself!"

Li Chen's face was as calm as water as he spoke slowly. However, even this simple sentence was like a bolt from the blue, striking the hearts of the Jade Emperor and the numerous civil and military officials of the Lingxiao Palace.

At that moment, the entire High Heaven Palace felt as if it had suddenly plunged into an ice cellar. The chill was bone-chilling, and the oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating. Everyone was dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at the man who had dared to openly refuse the Jade Emperor's reward.

"Why...why is this happening? Are these rewards not generous enough? If you think the amount is too little, you can always increase it a little more!"

The Jade Emperor asked with a slightly trembling voice, his face filled with astonishment. He was on the verge of a breakdown, anxiously trying to understand Li Chen's true thoughts. After all, for an emperor, if the thoughts of a powerful foreign aid were difficult to grasp, it would undoubtedly cause him endless trouble and distress.

"No, no, no, Your Majesty, you misunderstood." Li Chen shook his head slightly and explained righteously, "It's not that I despise the reward because it's too meager, but I'm unwilling to accept help in exchange for money, fame, or gain.

If Your Majesty truly desires peace and prosperity, then even without these so-called gifts, I will unhesitatingly do my utmost to help Your Majesty achieve your wish! Because what I seek is not fame, fortune, or wealth, but the peace and happiness of the people of this world!"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a huge rock hitting the water, stirring up a thousand waves. The entire Lingxiao Palace fell into a dead silence, and everyone was deeply shocked by Li Chen's passionate and righteous words.

Who would have thought that Lord Li Chen, who came to see the emperor today, would be such a noble man. His broad mind and lofty ambitions are truly admirable.

"But Immortal Li Chen, didn't you tell me just now in Huaguo Mountain that you wanted that diamond bracelet?"

Taibai Jinxing's face was filled with bewilderment and confusion, and he was completely baffled. Why had Li Chen first vowed to obtain the diamond bracelet, only to deny it the next moment? What was the deeper meaning behind this inconsistency?

In reality, how could Taibai Jinxing possibly know Li Chen's true inner thoughts? It turned out that Li Chen's actions were simply an opportunity to test whether the Heavenly Court was truly in dire straits, or if they were secretly colluding with the Buddhist world, deliberately setting a trap to lure him in.

What he said about the Vajra Bracelet was nothing more than a means to observe whether the Heavenly Court was sincere in lending a helping hand and whether it had really reached the urgent point of being stretched to the limit and in urgent need of external support.

Speaking of the Vajra Bracelet, it's the supreme treasure of the Jade Emperor! It's meticulously forged from Kun steel, then infused with the Jade Emperor's miraculous elixir. Nurturing it over the years, it has achieved its current extraordinary aura. This treasure is not only adept at changing form, but also possesses the magical property of being impervious to water and fire, and can easily ensnare anything in the world.

Because of this, Li Chen deeply understood the immense power contained in the Diamond Bracelet. Therefore, only by using it as a bargaining chip could he accurately detect whether the so-called predicament of the Heavenly Court was true or false.

If it was a trap, Taibai Jinxing would have told Li Chen without hesitation that he could give him the treasure, thereby luring him to the Heavenly Palace and into an ambush. If he needed help, he would have told Li Chen that he was unable to make a decision and asked him to go to the Heavenly Palace to consult Taishang Laojun to discuss the specific handling of the Vajra Bracelet.

"Good! Good! Good! Fellow Daoist Li Chen's reputation is truly well-deserved! He is wholeheartedly concerned only with the common people of the world. Seeing him today, it is indeed as the rumors say! It seems that my old eyes have never been wrong about him!"

Taishang Laojun, standing beside the Jade Emperor, praised with a broad smile. He then added, "However, if you succeed in defeating the demons of Northern Juluzhou this time, you must accept the spoils!"

Hearing this, Li Chen quickly waved his hands, about to decline. After all, for him, this trip to Heaven was not for any money or magic weapons, but for seeking more powerful support, so that the three realms could achieve peaceful coexistence as soon as possible, and then he could return home with peace of mind.

However, before Li Chen could finish his words, Taishang Laojun interrupted him and said, "My Lord Li Chen! No matter what, you must accept these spoils. Consider them as your reward! Otherwise, everyone in the Heavenly Court will feel really bad!

You know, if it weren't for you stepping forward to help, our Heavenly Court really wouldn't know what to do! After so many storms and tribulations, our Heavenly Court is already battered and bruised, and its vitality is greatly damaged. It really doesn't have the strength to continue the battle! "

"Yes, if you don't accept it, not only will we feel guilty, but the majesty of our Heavenly Court will also be destroyed!"

The Jade Emperor then made a request. After all, now is not the time to care about the majesty of the emperor of the Three Realms. After experiencing the rebellion of the Bull Demon King, the rebellion of the Wheel King, the rebellion of the Heavenly Court, and the rebellion of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, the strength of the Heavenly Court has been greatly reduced, and it simply has no power to deal with the three ancestor witches of Northern Juluzhou.

Looking at the repeated exhortations from the Jade Emperor and Taishang Laojun as well as the advice from the gods in heaven, Li Chen was finally forced to agree to help the heaven to wipe out the remaining three ancestor witches of Beijuluzhou, but he could keep all the spoils.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the clouds, bringing a touch of warmth and light to the world. Li Chen hurried back to Huaguo Mountain without stopping, ready to discuss countermeasures with everyone. After all, they were about to head to Northern Julu Prefecture.

Upon arriving at Huaguo Mountain, Li Chen searched everywhere for Fairy Hibiscus and the others. Finally, in the Water Curtain Cave, he saw a familiar face—Fairy Hibiscus was discussing a countermeasure with the other companions. Everyone was delighted to see Li Chen return.

Li Chen then hurried to find Hou Tu Niangniang, Feng Bo, and Yu Shi. After a brief discussion, they jointly came up with a defense plan: Hou Tu Niangniang, Feng Bo, Yu Shi, and the zombie puppets strengthened by the corpse-refining technique would guard Huaguo Mountain; while Fairy Furong and the others would accompany Li Chen to the Heavenly Palace to reunite with the remaining celestial soldiers and generals.

When Li Chen and his companions arrived at the Heavenly Palace, they were stunned by the sight before them. Standing in neat rows on the parade grounds were a group of valiant celestial soldiers and generals. These were undoubtedly the most elite of the Jade Emperor and even the entire Heavenly Palace.

Leading the group is the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, a towering figure holding a delicate pagoda. He exudes a majestic presence, a commanding presence undeniable even without anger. Beside him, in descending order, are the Four Heavenly Kings, each holding a pipa, a sword, a precious umbrella, and a red dragon spear. Each has a solemn expression, emanating a powerful aura.

Looking further back, Nezha, the Third Prince, rides on his Wind-Fire Wheel, his Fire-Tipped Spear flashing with a cold light; Muzha, the Second Prince, wields twin Wu Gou swords, his eyes piercing; and Jinzha, the First Prince, wields the Dragon-Drifting Pillar, exuding a fierce aura. Furthermore, the brothers with special abilities, Clairvoyance and Wind-Ear, are constantly aware of their surroundings; the Fish Belly General and the Yaksha General are heavily armored and wield numerous weapons; and the Giant Spirit God is enormous, towering over them like a small mountain.

Each celestial soldier and general was clad in gleaming golden armor, clutching a variety of formidable weapons. With their heads held high and chests puffed out, they stood tall and erect, forming an impenetrable defensive line within the parade grounds. The sharp aura emanating from them seemed capable of piercing the heavens, a force to be reckoned with.