Chapter 613: The Real Zhao Gongming

Heavenly Court, Reincarnation Platform.

Li Jing walked to this place with a look of utter despair, with several immortal soldiers guarding him.

Everything was just so sudden?

He was about to descend to the mortal realm for trials for no good reason, and this was even the Jade Emperor's decree.

Thinking it over, he hadn't committed any major offense.

Sure enough, accompanying a monarch is like accompanying a tiger. The Jade Emperor is the same; no one can fathom the thoughts of this Great Heavenly Venerable.

"Could it be that the Jade Emperor has some special purpose? Right, that must be it..."

Finally, looking back at the Heavenly Court one last time, Li Jing disappeared at the end of the Reincarnation Platform, to be reincarnated.

Afterwards, Nezha and Yang Jian appeared together.

"This should keep things quiet for a while," Nezha said excitedly.

Yang Jian was expressionless and said calmly:

"Nezha, you should be careful too. Who knows when the Jade Emperor might send you down to the mortal realm as well."

Hearing this, Nezha shrugged and said casually:

"That would be fine. There's nothing to do in the Heavenly Court anyway; it's quite boring. But I just didn't expect the Jade Emperor to actually cast my father down to the mortal realm. Thinking about it carefully, it seems my father didn't do anything wrong either."

Yang Jian looked back at the location of the High Heaven Palace and said: "The Jade Emperor is the Lord of the Three Realms and holds the Investiture of the Gods; the fate of all gods in the Heavenly Court is in his hands, so whatever he chooses to do is reasonable."

"That has nothing to do with me; I'm not on the Investiture of the Gods anyway. Second Brother, you aren't either!" Nezha said.

"Indeed, you and I have the protection of our sects. The Jade Emperor naturally wouldn't treat us that way, but we cannot let our guard down because of it. The various factions in these Three Realms are deeply intertwined; the waters are too deep," Yang Jian said.

"It's truly rare to hear such words coming from your mouth, Second Brother," Nezha said.

One must know that the Yang Jian of those years was a hot-blooded youth who clamored to kill the Jade Emperor, yet he ended up becoming a god of the Heavenly Court instead. One can see how great the variables were.

"Times change. Let's go," Yang Jian said.

"Where to? I was planning to go to the mortal realm to follow the Holy Monk Xuanzang and the others," Nezha said.

"?? Why go there?" Yang Jian asked, puzzled.

"It's exciting! I just feel like something big is going to happen in Sun Monkey's group.

Second Brother, you don't know, but last time I encountered the ancient Demon Emperor Kunpeng in the North Sea.

Afterwards, the Holy Monk Xuanzang even fought fiercely with the ancient Three Demon Emperors Dijun and the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and in the end, even the Ancestral Witches appeared.

These are all legendary existences; I was shocked," Nezha said, beaming with excitement.

Yang Jian sighed suddenly and thought to himself: "Has Xuanzang's strength already become so great that he can fight against ancient Demon Emperors? I have been left too far behind."

In all fairness, Yang Jian asked himself if he currently had the qualifications to fight an ancient Demon Emperor, and he simply couldn't win.

The gap between a Golden Immortal and a Great Luo Golden Immortal is truly too vast.

Seeing Yang Jian silent, Nezha suddenly whispered:

"Second Brother, I heard that Sister Yang Chan and the Holy Monk Xuanzang have an extraordinary relationship. Is there any truth to this? And how far has it developed? When will they get married and have kids? I'll definitely go and drink the wedding wine then."

Yang Jian's face darkened; he reached out and slapped Nezha on the head, saying irritably: "Why do you care about so many things, you brat? And who did you hear this from? It won't be that easy to become my brother-in-law."

"Heh heh heh, Second Brother. You say that with your mouth, but it seems you aren't the Holy Monk Xuanzang's match anymore. If you don't agree, the Holy Monk Xuanzang might just beat you up and ruin your reputation," Nezha laughed.

"..."

Yang Jian's face grew darker and darker. This lotus-root spirit Nezha, although small in stature, was full of schemes and was becoming increasingly devious; he even dared to crack jokes at his expense.

Seeing this, Nezha thought Yang Jian was angry and immediately said: "Don't be angry, Second Brother, I was just joking. With your talent, it's only a matter of time before you advance to Great Luo Golden Immortal. Unlike me, sigh... I might not have any hope in this lifetime..."

"Nezha, there is no need to belittle yourself. With your talent, if you have enough opportunities in the future, it is not impossible to advance to Great Luo," Yang Jian said.

"Alright, alright, enough talk, I'm off to play!"

Nezha left as soon as he spoke, disappearing while stepping on his Wind Fire Wheels.

Yang Jian prepared to return to the Judicial God Palace, but then remembered he hadn't seen Yang Chan for a long time, and on second thought, he walked straight out of the Southern Heaven Gate.

Meanwhile, in the Thirty-Second Heaven, at the Three Xiao Goddesses Mansion.

As usual, Zhao Gongming returned to the residence of his three sisters in a huff.

Inside the vast palace, three beautiful and transcendent female immortals in white sat suspended in the air, with holy halos of light floating behind them, looking stunning.

These were none other than Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao, who shook both the Chan and Jie Sects during the Investiture of the Gods.

Yunxiao opened her eyes, which were ethereal; her entire demeanor appeared detached from the world, untainted by even a speck of dust from this heaven and earth, and she said slowly:

"Brother, you have been slighted at the High Heaven Palace again."

Zhao Gongming found a meditation cushion and sat down, calming his mind. Almost instantly, his temperament changed, becoming completely different from before; his whole body radiated a vast aura of golden light, not much weaker than Yunxiao's.

Yunxiao could be considered the one with the best ending among the Three Xiao Goddesses.

Although she was on the Investiture of the Gods, both her flesh and Primordial Spirit remained intact; back then, she was merely sealed by Taishang Laojun under Qilin Cliff.

Unlike Qiongxiao and Bixiao, who were killed directly by Yuanshi Tianzun, leaving only a sliver of their true spirits, with their cultivation of several epochs dissipated into smoke.

After the Investiture of the Gods ended, the Saint Tongtian Jiaozhu stepped forward, so there was no reason to continue the seal; besides, they were direct disciples of the Jie Sect.

Now, the aura on Zhao Gongming's body was similar to Yunxiao's.

Since the Investiture of the Gods, Yunxiao's realm had improved significantly, and she was a genuine Quasi-Saint, having reached the Lesser Primordial Realm.

Zhao Gongming had shed his fiery temper and was now refined and easygoing, saying: "If I didn't act that way, how would the Heavenly Court and those other immortals let their guard down?"

"Brother, I know your thoughts. But now that Master is trapped in the Purple Heaven Palace, the Jie Sect has long ceased to exist. Today is not like the past," Yunxiao said.

Zhao Gongming said indifferently: "Sister Yunxiao, I am unwilling to be forever controlled by the Investiture of the Gods, forever bound by a list. Back then, I was a Great Luo Golden Immortal, roaming the heavens and earth with boundless magic power, how carefree and free I was, but now..."

"We were too young back then; the schemes of the Saints were not something we could fathom. Master had warned us long ago, but we insisted on having our own way," Yunxiao said.

Zhao Gongming shook his head and said: "Sister Yunxiao, let's not talk about you, having been suppressed for years in vain; just look at Sister Qiongxiao and Sister Bixiao, they died so tragically, the Saint..."

Zhao Gongming did not finish his sentence, because what followed involved hurling insults at a Saint.

If he said it out loud, he would surely suffer divine retribution, no less than the Five Decays of the Heavenly Human or the Calamity of the Red Dust.

Yunxiao fell silent, looking toward Qiongxiao and Bixiao beside her, her eyes filled with affection.

"Sister Yunxiao, rest assured. Your brother will not do anything foolish, nor will I stir up conflict. I only wish to strive for certain things, and it will be soon. Once I have gathered all the wealth and fortune under heaven, perhaps there will be a sliver of a chance to blaze a new trail and return to the peak, or even achieve rebirth through destruction," Zhao Gongming vowed with certainty.