Chapter 392: Is Heaven the Stronghold of Demons?

Flames burned with roaring fury, the air of Heaven exploding continuously; celestial qi in the sky scorched and refined, and as the flames advanced, the earth of the Jade Pool burned, the lotus pond withered, and wherever they passed, celestial soldiers turned to ash, celestial generals were consumed—once a glorious Heaven, now transformed into a furnace of heat under Gu Qing’s single punch!

“Your achievements in flood control can erase your previous offenses against Heaven…”

Chang’e stood before Gu Qing, her exquisite face marked with a touch of disappointment.

Gu Qing could attain immortality in Heaven.

Gu Qing said nothing, one arm around Chang’e’s slender waist, blazing light radiating from his body; his left hand extended, flames intertwining, hidden runes forming, as he struck again at the Jade Pool—like a tiger among sheep, wherever he moved, none could stand against him, celestial soldiers and generals alike turning to ash.

Yang Jian and Yang Jiao also came to Heaven to cause chaos, seeking justice from the Jade Emperor, but both restrained themselves, injuring but not killing celestial soldiers and generals, wasting precious energy unnecessarily; whereas Gu Qing, rising from the Divine Eagle World, had always been ruthless, slaughtering countless foes, possessing the most battlefield experience, and now in Heaven, he moved like a divine deity—one step, a hundred kills—reducing celestial soldiers to pulp, countless spiritual cores burning and twisting in the air.

“Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!”

Within the Jade Pool, the immortals cried out in unison; celestial servants lined up, shielding the Jade Emperor while dispatching the Marshal of the Heavenly River and the Curtain-Rolling General to hold off the outside.

“You brat.”

The Marshal of the Heavenly River had just been aided by Gu Qing and sent back to the Weak Water; now seeing Gu Qing sweep Chang’e toward the palace, though displeased, he still spoke gently: “Storming Heaven is no joke.”

The Marshal of the Heavenly River knew well the Jade Emperor’s power—like the Great Golden Crow, like himself—both were extraordinarily powerful, yet the Jade Emperor could, in a single thought, strip them of their divine offices and cast them into the mortal realm.

“I intend to turn Heaven upside down!”

Gu Qing, holding Chang’e, walked forward calmly; the Marshal of the Heavenly River, seeing Gu Qing approach step by step, helplessly raised his nine-toothed rake and swung it down upon Gu Qing’s head.

“Nine Yang Great Thunder!”

Gu Qing’s left hand flexed and slapped the nine-toothed rake.

The sun burned and fused ceaselessly; when this fusion converged into one point, it formed the Nine Yang Great Thunder.

Gu Qing’s single palm strike wove light and flame; the blazing radiance in his palm made the Marshal feel far stronger than the original explosion—collision occurred in an instant, and in that same instant, a brilliant light exploded from Gu Qing’s hand, the nine-toothed rake bent and flipped backward, and the Marshal’s body curled into a ball, crashing directly into the Jade Pool.

“Rebellion! Rebellion!”

The immortals in the Jade Pool cried out in shock, yet their hearts turned icy—had the Marshal of the Heavenly River fallen, who among them could stand against him?

The Jade Emperor sat high upon the Jade Pool’s throne, coldly observing all that unfolded before him.

“Stop! You cannot advance further!”

The Curtain-Rolling General shouted at Gu Qing.

Gu Qing punched out, sending the Curtain-Rolling General flying, then released Chang’e’s waist and leapt into the Jade Pool.

The palace of the Jade Pool resembled a lotus, surrounded by barriers, with a small central pavilion where all the immortals and sages gathered; Gu Qing rushed in, his gaze sweeping past the assembly of immortals and sages, locking directly onto the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother behind.

These two were the enforcers of Heaven’s laws.

“Where are Yang Jian and Yang Jiao?”

Gu Qing asked.

The Jade Emperor glanced slightly toward the Queen Mother beside him.

The primary source of divine power in this world is love, hate, emotion, and desire; infusing power with these emotions makes one extraordinarily strong.

Yang Jiao and Yang Jian now possessed peerless combat strength because of their extreme hatred; the Queen Mother knew this well, so she lured them into the Four Realms of Desire, stimulating their cravings to extinguish their hatred toward the Jade Emperor.

“Are you here to rescue Yang Jiao and Yang Jian?”

The Queen Mother sat beside the Jade Emperor, her phoenix eyes sharp with authority, demanding sharply.

Gu Qing was about to speak when the celestial servants outside the Jade Pool surged forward, sealing him within.

Celestial servants were like eunuchs beside the Emperor, each wielding real power and possessing formidable strength; in the prequel to the Precious Lamp, when Liu Yanchang pursued the Holy Mother, there was a scene where Liu Yanchang heard a celestial servant speak disrespectfully to the Holy Mother—he poured tea onto her face, forcing her to appear and shoe the servant to spare Liu.

In the future, Yang Jian as the Heavenly Judge would be constrained in many matters precisely because of the celestial servants at his side.

“Trap him here! Arrest him!”

The Jade Emperor ordered coldly.

Celestial servants guarded the Jade Pool’s entrance, immortals stood before the Jade Emperor—in an instant, Gu Qing was caught in a pincer formation.

Gu Qing’s gaze turned icy; he spread his hands, stepped forward—the celestial servants surrounding the Jade Pool trembled, their forms staggering forward a step into the Jade Pool, while Gu Qing’s body suddenly appeared before the Jade Pool’s entrance, turning to face the Jade Emperor with cold indifference.

Just moments ago, it was a pincer formation; now, Gu Qing alone surrounded the Jade Pool!

“Golden Crow Array!”

Flames burst from Gu Qing’s eyes; within his nine orifices, countless suns burned, merging with Gu Qing himself to instantly form the Golden Crow Array—limitless heat and light surged into the Jade Pool.

The Jade Pool palace was a sealed small shrine; Gu Qing held the entrance, radiating light—the temperature inside the Jade Pool skyrocketed, flames spontaneously appearing, burning even around the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, golden fire erupting everywhere.

Once this Golden Crow Array brought suffering to the mortal realm; now Gu Qing reversed it, directly scorching the Jade Emperor’s face, making these lofty immortals feel the sun’s searing heat.

“Stop!”

“How dare you!”

The immortals and celestial servants within the Jade Pool palace erupted in fury—countless chains, pagodas, divine swords, and heavenly thunderbolts flew toward Gu Qing.

Gu Qing, standing before the Jade Pool palace, stood unmoved as the divine weapons approached; suddenly, a small mirror appeared before him, reflecting light, halting the weapons, while the endless heat surged into the Jade Pool, causing its waters to steam into a dreamlike haze.

“I can’t hold on anymore…”

“Stop this at once!”

“You’re cutting yourself off from Heaven…”

The immortals wailed.

Gu Qing heard these cries, his eyes half-lidded; after lying low in the White Snake World, Gu Qing was now savoring this.

Moonlight shimmered around Chang’e as she stood beside Gu Qing, watching her fellow immortals—hair first burned, skin then melted, bones and robes finally reduced to ash…

Gu Qing, who had done all this, showed no mercy, no pity—only radiating heat and light, the endless radiance piercing the dreamlike haze, bringing him into direct gaze with the Jade Emperor within the Jade Pool.

The Jade Emperor, clad in imperial robes, stared at the ruined Jade Pool, his face dark as water, yet he remained silent, locked in a standoff with Gu Qing.

“Swoosh!”

A beam of light descended from Heaven; the Little Golden Crow, holding a golden wheel, flew toward Gu Qing—now, in this critical moment, he came voluntarily to protect the Emperor!

“Slap!” Gu Qing merely raised his hand; in an instant, the Little Golden Crow slipped on the Jade Pool’s floor, sliding straight to the Jade Emperor’s throne.

The Queen Mother rose from the mist, plucking a golden hairpin from her head; though ten suns blazed over the Jade Pool, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother had remained composed—now, as Gu Qing breached the Jade Pool and showed no restraint, this Golden Immortal finally prepared to act.

“Wu Liang Tian Zun.”

Cihang Dao Ren stepped lightly to the Jade Pool’s entrance, his willow branch flicking gently, parting the mist within; Chang’e looked into the palace—besides the Jade Emperor, Queen Mother, Marshal of the Heavenly River, and a few others, most immortals had already been reduced to ash by the earlier burning.

“Jade Emperor, Great Celestial Sovereign!”

Cihang Dao Ren bowed to the Jade Emperor.

Gu Qing saw Cihang Dao Ren and promptly lowered the Golden Crow Array; at this moment, he appeared somewhat withered.

“Are you the Jade Emperor?”

Behind Cihang Dao Ren stood two young men: Yang Jiao, round-faced with a full beard, and Yang Jian, handsome and striking; both stared at the Jade Emperor, hatred flaring in their eyes once more.

They had trained relentlessly for family reunion, but failed to save their mother, lost their father to death, and had their souls dissolved by the Jade Emperor—blood feud already established; now, facing the Jade Emperor, their expressions were anything but kind.

The Jade Emperor ignored Yang Jiao and Yang Jian, glancing only at Gu Qing, letting out a soft snort, then turned to Cihang Dao Ren and asked what he wanted.

“When immortals fight, mortals suffer. I have come to Heaven hoping both sides will lay down arms.”

Cihang Dao Ren spoke with compassion.

“Hmph.”

The Queen Mother frowned: “Cihang Dao Ren, had you arrived just a moment later, the Golden Crow Array would have backfired on him!”

Gu Qing had lowered the Golden Crow Array; the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother both saw his threat—but as Golden Immortals, they also saw his flaw: his power could not be sustained.

Gu Qing had not yet mastered the Nine Yang power fully; the Golden Crow Array was harming him too. If they waited just a little longer, his internal fire would overwhelm him, and he would ignite and burn himself alive.

Cihang Dao Ren looked at Gu Qing and offered him the Yangzhi Jade Vase.

“No need.”

Gu Qing, having endured tens of thousands of battles, was a veteran of the battlefield, fond of feigning weakness; the flaw the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother had spotted was deliberately exposed by Gu Qing—to make them believe his technique had a flaw, lulling them into complacency.

“The brat is merely holding on…”

The Jade Emperor snorted, then his expression hardened—he saw Gu Qing boldly embrace Chang’e’s waist and kiss her; the power of the sun and the power of the moon merged, Gu Qing’s fire receded swiftly, his vital energy restored, returning to peak condition.

Gu Qing released Chang’e, meeting her gaze; under the kiss, her face flushed crimson, tears in her eyes, disbelief in her gaze as she looked at him.

At this moment, Chang’e realized: Gu Qing had brought her to the Jade Pool as a “watering station”—to cool his fire.

This act offended her; this answer made her feel disciplined—but the process… made her feel… strangely thrilling.

Yang Jian watched this scene; for some reason, he felt a strange emptiness in his heart—he had never seen such a beautiful immortal before, and she had stirred something within him; now, as Chang’e’s gaze met his, Yang Jian quickly lowered his eyes.

Cihang Dao Ren turned back to the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother and said: “Jade Emperor, I come seeking a favor.”

The Jade Emperor’s face was grim; he said coldly: “Is Gu Qing of the Chan Sect?”

“You don’t need to know where I’m from!”

Gu Qing said coldly: “Just know that I can block the Jade Pool—and I can block the Southern Heavenly Gate. I can make your edicts never leave Heaven.”

Cihang Dao Ren wanted to negotiate; someone had to play the villain.

“How dare you!”

The Queen Mother slammed her hand on the chair beside her—it was scorching hot, yet she did not let go.

“It’s you who are bold!”

Gu Qing said coldly: “As ruler of the Three Realms, the Jade Emperor released ten suns to plague the mortal realm and dug into the Heavenly River to drown it. All the demons and monsters plaguing mortals combined are less evil than you, Jade Emperor. So tell me—is Heaven now the stronghold of demonic paths?”

At these words, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother both paled.

“It is better to resolve enmity than to deepen it.”

Cihang Dao Ren now played the peacemaker: “This incident began with the Three-Headed Python; Yaoji was wounded by it in the mortal realm, fell into love, and bore offspring. Now, Yang Tianyou is dead, Yang Jiao and Yang Jian have become immortals—this mortal matter should be forgiven. I beg the Jade Emperor to show mercy and release Yaoji…”

Cihang Dao Ren recounted the entire story.

“Heaven’s law forbids immortals from any attachment to love or desire…”

The Queen Mother’s voice was cold: “If immortals all had personal feelings, what would become of Heaven?”

The Queen Mother held firm to her principles.

Gu Qing looked at Wang Yuyan and felt her words made sense, but they were still an obstacle—he wanted to revise the Heavenly Rules, for if he wished to marry a goddess, the Heavenly Rules were the very obstacle.

“The Three Realms and Six Paths are all sentient beings bound by emotion.”

The Bodhisattva of Compassion’s voice was filled with pity, as he sought to continue persuading.

“Bodhisattva of Compassion, no more need be said.”

At that moment, Gu Qing spoke up: “The Jade Emperor and Wang Yuyan do not love the beings of the Three Realms—then Pingshenme do they still sit as Jade Emperor? In my view, let me guard the Jade Pond and the Southern Heavenly Gate, blocking their edicts from reaching below—then, leaderless, the Three Realms will gain true freedom!”

Since the Jade Emperor refused to open a window, Gu Qing would simply overturn the roof.

“This, this…”

The Jade Emperor’s face flushed red.

He was indeed a Golden Immortal, but if he moved against Gu Qing, he would invoke Golden Immortal Law—and then other Golden Immortals would seize the opportunity to encroach upon the Heavenly Rules. Yet if he clung rigidly to the Heavenly Rules, Gu Qing would dance before his eyes, and the Jade Emperor would be powerless.

“If that is so…”

The Jade Emperor looked at the Bodhisattva of Compassion and said: “Then I shall grant you this favor…”

The Heavenly Court was still too weak; the Jade Emperor recalled the Divine Investiture War—he would wait until after that war, when his strength had greatly increased, to settle accounts with Gu Qing.

To win now is not to win!

(End of Chapter)