I'm Dreaming of a Journey to the West

"Alright! Great God of the Three Altars and Sea Assembly, would you be willing to accompany the Immortal Li Chen to slay demons and monsters?"

The Jade Emperor, seated high atop the Dragon Throne, asked in a voice as resonant as a bell. His words, like a stone stirring a thousand waves, instantly captured the attention of the numerous celestial beings present. Their gazes turned to the valiant Nezha Third Prince, standing beside Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

Nezha the Third Prince held his head high, chest out, took a step forward, clasped his hands together, and answered respectfully but with dignity: "Your Majesty! I am willing to follow the Immortal Li Chen to the Northern Juluzhou to fight those monsters!" His voice was clear and loud, echoing throughout the training ground, which made people excited.

However, only Nezha himself knew that his descent into the mortal realm wasn't simply to defeat demons. For a long time, the various red tapes of the Heavenly Court had made his free and easy nature feel extremely oppressive.

There were many rules and regulations that restricted his movements, making it difficult for him to fully display his skills. Now, he was naturally overjoyed to have this opportunity to descend to the mortal world with Li Chen. On the one hand, he could have a thrilling battle with the demons, and on the other, he could also take the opportunity to relax and have some fun.

Upon hearing Nezha's ready agreement, the Jade Emperor smiled with satisfaction. He nodded slightly and said with satisfaction, "Very well, in that case, I will personally see you off tomorrow! I hope you will be victorious on this expedition and return triumphantly!"

After saying this, the Jade Emperor turned his gaze towards Li Chen and the people behind him. His brow furrowed slightly as he asked in confusion, "But Immortal Li Chen, why do these people behind you look a little strange? They seem to include evildoers, those who were once punished by our Heavenly Court, and even those who secretly escaped to the mortal world... What exactly is going on?"

Li Chen then realized that the Jade Emperor had arrived late and hadn't heard him introduce his comrades to the heavenly soldiers and generals. He had no choice but to introduce them to the Jade Emperor again out of respect.

"The Fire-Eating Poison Scorpion, the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox, the Hundred Immortal Butterfly, and the Millennium Bat Demon—these four are all renowned beings! Back then, during the perilous journey to defeat the Ancestral Witch, they engaged in a thrilling battle with me. However, in the end, with my unfathomable skills and indestructible will, I successfully subdued them one by one.

"Fairy Hibiscus, Ao Xue, Ao Shuang, and Xiao Yan, having heard of my fame, have come to join me. "Also, there's my prized disciple, Li Zhaohuang! She's incredibly talented, diligent, and will surely become something great in the future!" Li Chen said with a smile.

Hearing these words, even the usually calm Jade Emperor was shocked. You know, Li Chen's own strength is already unfathomable, and with the powerful helpers under his command, his combined strength is probably far beyond the sum of the power currently controlled by the Heavenly Court.

If Li Chen harbored evil intentions and wanted to destroy the Heavenly Court and replace it as the overlord of the Three Realms, it would be easy. Li Chen could defeat the Tathagata Buddha and his disciples in the Western Heaven, and he could also destroy the Heavenly Court and become the overlord himself!

Thinking of this, the Jade Emperor secretly rejoiced that Li Chen currently held no ill intentions. He quickly smiled and said, "Since that's the case, I will host a grand banquet in the Heavenly Palace tomorrow, both to bid you farewell and to express my gratitude. I hope that after this separation, we'll have the opportunity to meet again."

After saying this, the Jade Emperor's face was now filled with an excited smile, and he was obviously very happy about the arrival of Li Chen and others. Because he knew very well that if Li Chen really established a deep and good relationship with Nezha, it would undoubtedly be a strong reassurance for the Heavenly Court, and they could rest easy in the future.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Upon hearing this, Nezha hurriedly bowed to the Jade Emperor in thanks. Li Chen, who was standing by, followed suit and imitated Nezha's movements, bowing respectfully to the Jade Emperor.

The next morning, sunlight streamed down upon the magnificent Lingxiao Palace, filling the hall with a rich aroma and a joyful atmosphere. The Jade Emperor, clad in magnificent attire, sat high upon his throne, his face beaming as he gazed down below.

At this moment, in the center of the hall stood exquisite tables and chairs, laden with delicacies. While this banquet couldn't rival the grand Peach Banquet of yesteryear, it was still mouth-watering. The dazzling array of dishes shone with an alluring luster, showcasing a wide variety of delicacies. Rare ingredients like dragon liver and phoenix marrow, bear paws, and ape lips added a touch of luxury. The nectar, like celestial dew, was crystal clear and fragrant.

The immortals were laughing and chatting happily, and the atmosphere was extremely lively. However, after three rounds of drinking, Li Chen, who had been chatting and laughing, suddenly frowned slightly, as if he had thought of something crucial.

He put down his wine glass, looked solemnly at the twenty-seven constellations present, and asked, "Everyone, I'd like to inquire about Jiao Mu Jiao's current situation. Did he sincerely betray the Heavenly Court, or does he have other ulterior motives and is secretly working as an undercover agent for the Time Ancestral Witch?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone turned their gazes to the Twenty-Seven Constellations, awaiting their response. After all, Jiao Mujiao's fate was a grave matter for the Celestial Court. If he had truly betrayed the Celestial Court, he would be severely punished to set the record straight. However, if he had merely feigned surrender, in reality seeking intelligence for the Celestial Court, that was a different matter altogether.

Faced with Li Chen's questioning, the twenty-seven constellations looked at each other in bewilderment. For a moment, no one answered. After a long moment, Jing Mu'an finally stood up and replied respectfully, "Reporting to Immortal Li Chen, regarding the matter of the Jiaomu Jiao, we don't know the full extent of the situation. We only know that he had some contact with the Time Ancestral Witch, but the specific circumstances are truly difficult to ascertain."

Li Chen nodded slightly, understanding. He knew this matter was of grave importance and couldn't easily draw conclusions based on just one side of the story. So, he pressed on, "So, are there any other clues or signs that could reveal Jiaomu Jiao's true intentions?"

At this time, Dou Muxie stepped forward and said, "From what I know, Jiao Mujiao is usually an upright person and loyal to the Heavenly Court. His recent dealings with the Time Ancestral Witch may have hidden motives. However, there is currently no conclusive evidence to prove whether he has truly rebelled."

Upon hearing this, Li Chen fell into deep thought. He pondered, if Jiao Mu Jiao truly had betrayed Heaven, he would never tolerate such a traitor and would personally slay him to uphold the dignity and prestige of Heaven. But if he was merely feigning his allegiance to the Grand Master of Time, acting as an undercover agent, he could leverage the intelligence he provided to smooth his campaign against the Grand Master. Regardless, he had to uncover the truth as quickly as possible.

"Immortal Li Chen! Is there anything else you need to ask? It's obvious that the traitor saw that we were defeated and immediately turned around and joined the Time Ancestral Witch!"

Li Tianwang, the Heavenly King holding the pagoda, was utterly furious, his eyes wide and his beard standing on end, as if spitting fire. He clutched the exquisite pagoda tightly in his hand, trembling with rage as he roared, "Think of all the heavenly soldiers and generals in my heavenly court. Who isn't a man of steel? They've always been heroes who died on the battlefield, but when have we ever seen such a coward who's so greedy for life that he's turned his back on his own side!"

At this moment, Kuimu Lang frowned slightly, as if remembering something important. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly spoke, "Speaking of this Jiaomu Jiao, I've previously discussed a battle plan to annihilate the demons. He proposed going undercover in the demon's lair, waiting for the right moment to join forces with us, both inside and outside, to completely defeat those demons."

"I just didn't expect... Alas! Who could have predicted that he would actually betray Heaven and throw himself into the arms of the Time Ancestral Witch?" At this point, Kuimu Lang couldn't help but sigh deeply, his face full of regret and resentment.

From these words, Li Chen grasped some information, that is, Jiao Mujiao was very likely not a traitor. His purpose was most likely to infiltrate the Time Ancestral Witch as an undercover agent, bring him to the Heavenly Court when he was strong enough, and then eliminate the Time Ancestral Witch with internal and external cooperation.

However, only when Li Chen actually sees the heavenly general who rebelled against the Heavenly Court can he truly understand the specific events and the cause and effect behind them and why he rebelled.