For three days, Nezha had not stopped for a moment. From Mount Taihua, he traveled three thousand miles south, slaying fifty-seven beasts that had been harming living creatures, and returned to the Heavenly Court at noon today to report.
Though he had flown this route countless times—a path he could navigate with his eyes closed—this time, his expression shifted slightly, and he hesitated for a moment.
Where was the Southern Heavenly Gate?
Not only was the gate gone, but the Heavenly King of Growth, responsible for guarding this place, was also nowhere to be seen.
“Little Brother Nezha, why are you spacing out here?”
A gentle and modest voice sounded from behind. Nezha turned to see a man clad in silver armor, holding a Silver-Tipped Precious Halberd, with an exceptionally handsome face and a third eye on his forehead. At first glance, he looked like a scholarly pretty boy.
However, as the authority of Guankou and the Heavenly Court’s acknowledged top enforcer, Yang Jian’s aura as a god of war often made others dare not look directly at him or approach him.
“Three-Eyes? You’ve always followed orders but never attended summons, never setting foot at the Southern Heavenly Gate without reason. Why have you come up today?”
Compared to Yang Jian, who stood a head taller than him, Nezha’s aura as a god of slaughter was no less imposing.
Just standing there, the two gave off the vibe of a righteous boss and an underworld boss out on the streets—unapproachable, living legends.
Even the immortal cranes braked hastily and turned to fly around them.
Yang Jian chuckled softly, lowering his head to soothe the Xiaotian Dog, who was eager to go inside and see the commotion. He said with evident delight, “What, little brother, you still don’t know?”
“Know what?” Nezha’s expression was cold, the murderous aura from slaying demons still lingering around him, making him appear extremely icy and unapproachable.
The Jade Emperor had issued three imperial decrees summoning Erlang Shen to the heavens. Though Yang Jian had already arrived at the Southern Heavenly Gate, he still had the leisure to stop and chat with Nezha, completely ignoring his uncle, who was about to go mad in Lingxiao Palace.
“At your age, in your spare time, why not stay in Yunlou Palace, play with your phone, and check the real-time news from all over the Three Realms? Aren’t you tired of fighting and killing outside all day?”
Yang Jian actually knew that Nezha would rather spend the entire year descending to the mortal realm to subdue demons than stay in the Heavenly Court or Yunlou Palace—all to avoid seeing Li Jing.
“If you’re ever bored in the future, come to Guankou for a visit.” He tilted his head, looking past the Southern Heavenly Gate, his divine eyes fixed on the chaos and wreckage in the distance. “With today’s commotion, the monkey is bound to come. It’s been a long time since the three of us brothers gathered to enjoy Immortal Brew together.”
Perfect for a celebration.
Nezha truly used his smartphone like an old-fashioned phone—keeping it on silent all year, ignoring any harmless reports about Li Jing, and not even mentioning it during demon-slaying missions. Whether he even carried it with him was a question mark.
The Marshal of the Central Altar, who was essentially offline 365 days a year, furrowed his sword-like brows.
His eyes, usually filled with a murderous aura, now held confusion. He had no idea what Yang Jian was talking about.
Seeing this rare expression on Nezha’s face, Yang Jian’s already good mood improved even further. “Come, follow your elder brother inside. Once you see what’s happening inside, our Great God of the Third Altar, who always wears a cold face, might be happy for three days and three nights.”
Nezha: “…”
He didn’t think anything could make him happy for three days and three nights. If anything, Yang Jian seemed like he had mistakenly taken stimulants.
Passing through the Southern Heaven without a “gate,” the Wind and Fire Wheels moved slowly. Nezha looked down from above at the Heavenly Court, which had become so much more spacious in just three days, his confusion deepening.
When he landed and looked around, he realized his home was gone.
Within a radius of several hundred meters, only the Giant Spirit God’s mansion and a few scattered palaces remained standing; the other halls seemed to have been swept away by a sudden gust of wind.
Seeing this scene, Nezha paused briefly, his mind working for a moment before he said with an indifferent expression, “…Did the Heavenly Court undergo demolition?”
Yang Jian nodded, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Pretty much. Your family’s pagoda base was dismantled.”
It took Nezha a long time to react, his eyes shifting unpredictably. “…Li Jing?”
Yang Jian stood with his hands behind his back, speaking with interest. “Your family’s pagoda base somehow offended some formidable figure, and that person used a Magic Treasure to chase and blast him.”
“He originally intended to use the pagoda to resist, but who would have thought the Seven Treasure Exquisite Pagoda couldn’t withstand it at all. Li Jing had no choice but to run around the Heavenly Court clutching the pagoda.”
“Every palace he dodged was blasted into flat ground by that person’s Magic Treasure. Your home was the first to suffer, followed by Wenqu Xing, the Barefoot Immortal…”
As Yang Jian listed the names of the immortals beside him, Nezha remained silent, lowering his gaze to take out his phone, which hadn’t been turned on for half a month. He clicked on a video forwarded to him by the monkey, and a glimmer of light emerged from the dark, icy depths of his eyes.
In the video, Li Jing was in a sorry state, running around like a pig about to be slaughtered for the New Year—both ridiculous and pitiful.
The famously formidable Jade-Faced Killing God was not adept at expressing emotions, but Yang Jian could tell from the subtle changes in his eyes whether he was pleased or happy.
Undoubtedly, he was both.
The Sky-Mixing Silk fluttered joyfully, its red streams of light growing increasingly dazzling and brilliant, reflecting its owner’s good mood.
Three consecutive days of demon-slaying wouldn’t tire Nezha, but seeing Li Jing in trouble brought him unprecedented satisfaction.
His hand holding the Fire-Tipped Spear gently rubbed it, inexplicably wanting to slay another hundred demons to celebrate.
However, after the satisfaction, Nezha’s eyes suddenly darkened.
No, Li Jing was arrogant and conceited, and he had offended many immortals in the Heavenly Court, but no immortal would risk flattening the entire Heavenly Court to hunt him down, knowing full well it would be a death sentence.
No one had that kind of courage.
Not everyone was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, with Patriarch Bodhi backing them.
After much thought, a figure slowly emerged in his mind.
Combined with the mysterious beads flying all over the sky in the video—beads even he and Yang Jian had never heard of—Nezha’s pupils suddenly contracted. The flames on the Wind and Fire Wheels at his feet blazed brightly as he flew toward Lingxiao Palace.
Yang Jian was taken aback and quickly chased after him with Xiaotian Dog.
With the wind howling in his ears, he asked, “Why are you in such a hurry?”
Nezha’s eyes were as cold as stars, and he replied succinctly, “To save someone.”
“Save who?”
“My sworn sister.”
Yang Jian’s CPU processed for a long time but still couldn’t connect with Nezha’s brainwaves. “Since when do you have a sworn sister?”
It couldn’t be the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Mouse Spirit, could it?
“Just recognized her,” Nezha said with a cold expression, tossing out three words. He pushed the Wind and Fire Wheels to their maximum speed, turning into a red blur as he charged straight toward Lingxiao Palace.
Yang Jian didn’t understand but could tell this was no simple matter.
Transforming into a silver and a black streak of light with Xiaotian Dog, he followed closely and landed in front of Lingxiao Palace.
All the gods were gathered in the grand hall, civil and military officials arranged in two rows. At the center, seated on the golden dragon throne at the highest position, was the Jade Emperor.
The atmosphere was heavy, cold, and solemn, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
The Giant Spirit God worriedly looked toward the center of the hall, where Shen Fuxing—the culprit behind the Heavenly Court’s bombardment—was being escorted up by Official Wang himself.
The immortals’ gazes were filled with surprise and confusion.
What was surprising was that the person who had nearly leveled the Heavenly Court was actually a minor Celestial Attendant who hadn’t even come of age. What was puzzling was that despite causing such chaos, this child remained utterly calm and unruffled, as if taking a leisurely stroll.
Did she not realize she was about to meet a gruesome end with nowhere to be buried?
The Jade Emperor was truly furious this time, wishing he could tear the culprit limb from limb to vent his rage. He slammed the table and roared, “How dare you, Shen Fuxing! Do you think wearing a cloak will hide your identity? On the brink of death, and you still refuse to kneel!”
His authoritative and intimidating voice echoed through every corner of the hall.
Yet Shen Fuxing did not move an inch.
There was no trace of panic in her eyes, only a faint, serene smile.
From the Jade Emperor above to the attendants holding fans and incense burners below, everyone who met her nearly crazed gaze felt a chill run down their spines.
“What if I don’t kneel? Whether you are gods or buddhas, what does it matter to me?”
“In this lifetime, aside from the grandfather who raised me, no one has the right to make me kneel.”
“Outrageous!” The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, though fortunate enough to have dodged the Divine Fire Pill, had been struck by the purple lightning from the explosion, leaving him covered in black smoke and his armor mostly damaged.
Seeing that Shen Fuxing refused to yield until faced with certain doom, and still dared to act defiant after committing such a grave offense, he was overcome with rage and loudly commanded the Heavenly Soldiers, “You there! Today, even if you have to force her down, you must pin this witch to the ground!”
The Heavenly Soldiers obeyed the order, gathering together and closing in on Shen Fuxing.
Shen Fuxing unhurriedly untied the hood’s cord and, with a swift motion, pulled off her cloak.
Instantly, the Heavenly Soldiers’ faces filled with terror, and they dared not take another step toward her.
The Jade Emperor and the other celestial beings present widened their eyes in shock. Li Jing, in particular, felt a surge of fear and instinctively took a step back.
No wonder she had covered herself so thoroughly with the cloak.
On Shen Fuxing’s wrists were strange bead bracelets, and around her neck hung a black-and-red beaded necklace.
Most strikingly, around her waist were over a dozen large gauze pouches, bulging with strange beads, which she had tied around herself like a belt.
The celestial beings couldn’t tell the exact number, but they could see that the beads on her were noticeably larger than the ones she had used to bombard Heavenly King Li earlier.
The situation reversed in an instant. With every step Shen Fuxing took forward, the Heavenly Soldiers, who had been so aggressive moments before, retreated several steps.
She paid no attention to the Jade Emperor at the head of the hall. Instead, with a faint, mocking smile, she fixed her gaze on the wary Li Jing, slowly advancing step by step.
The celestial beings near the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King scattered in an instant, leaving a wide, empty space around him.
No one dared to lay a hand on Shen Fuxing.
Having witnessed the power of the beads, anyone with a brain knew that the quantity she carried was enough to destroy the entire Lingxiao Palace and even the remaining halls of the Heavenly Court.
If they exploded, the consequences would be unimaginable.
They might not even be able to escape themselves.
“Li Jing, you didn’t think I surrendered out of fear, did you?” Shen Fuxing’s eyes were calm and unreadable, with an unfathomable gloom lingering in their depths.
An aura of killing intent radiated from her as she curled her lips into a smile and spoke slowly, word by word, “I’ve already leveled the Heavenly Court. I’m here to fight you to the death.”