Chapter 452

The originally clear sky was quickly covered by thick clouds.

The calm sea surface beneath their feet rippled, gradually forming one vortex after another.

The distant shore became blurred, shrouded in a layer of mist, like a mirage.

The thick clouds blocked out the sun, and the surroundings grew dim and gloomy.

It felt like the low pressure before a violent storm, making people feel somewhat breathless.

"Boom!"

A drumbeat sounded from within the clouds, accompanied by faint, indistinct shouts.

"Boom!"

Then came the second beat.

"Boom!" The third.

The drumbeats began to come in succession—one after another, continuously increasing, not just a single war drum being struck.

"Ha!"

"Ha!"

The war drums sounded without cease, echoing through the heavens, and the soldiers' shouts also rang clearly in the ears.

Killing intent surged, golden spears and iron horses!

Li Muzha looked up at the sinking, pressing clouds in the sky, his eyes complex beyond measure, then gradually turning to firmness, ruthlessness, and even a hint of madness.

Tang Luo and the three others remained unmoved.

Ao Yulie showed no expression; Zhu Bajie gazed at the sky with a touch of nostalgia, probably recalling his time as Marshal Tianpeng?

Several golden lights pierced the clouds, and the thick clouds around them slowly dispersed.

Only then was seen a middle-aged man in golden armor and a red cloak standing atop the clouds, wearing a golden-winged black treasure crown on his head, his left hand holding a golden, exquisite pagoda, his waist bearing a treasure sword, and his right hand resting on the sword hilt.

He had a long beard, his eyes slightly narrowed, dignified and solemn, meticulous and rigid.

The Heavenly Court's Pagoda-Holding Heavenly King, Li Jing.

Behind him stood a forest of spears, heavenly soldiers arrayed in battle formation, killing intent soaring to the heavens.

"Holy Monk's sudden arrival, my apologies for not welcoming you properly." Li Jing looked down from above, gazing at Tang Luo as he spoke.

The clouds slowly descended and spread, and the heavenly soldiers around them also spread out together, forming a circle that enclosed Tang Luo and the others.

Not only were there heavenly soldiers in front, behind, left, and right, but also above and below.

However, if one looked closely, one would find that the number of these heavenly soldiers was not even a hundred thousand.

Only about fifty thousand or so.

Yet their aura soared to the clouds, making people tremble with fear.

"My apologies for not welcoming you properly"—that's what was said, but the attitude made things quite clear.

"Li Jing, you want to fight me?" Tang Luo looked at Li Jing and said.

"……" Li Jing said nothing, seemingly weighing his options.

He might also be cursing Tang Luo in his heart for not knowing what "propriety" means, opening with "You want to fight me?" and behaving like a street ruffian.

Utterly lacking decorum.

Li Jing has never liked people who disregard rules and act recklessly.

But disliking is disliking—others are the Fighting Victory Buddha, not his son, not his subordinates; punishing them is perfectly justified.

"Rebellious son!"

So the displeased Li Jing immediately vented his anger on Li Muzha, opening with "Rebellious son."

Of course, now this title is actually quite fitting.

"Father." Li Muzha's face turned cold, and he gave a slight bow.

"Hmph!" Li Jing let out a cold snort, his eyes like blades.

Li Muzha remained unmoved; he had fought Li Jing before, more than once, so he naturally would not fear Li Jing's gaze again.

"If you want to fight, then fight; if not, return the Celestial Dog to this poor monk, let us disciples leave, and as for your family affairs, this poor monk has little interest in meddling."

Tang Luo looked at Li Jing and said, getting straight to the point.

"The Holy Monk injured my subordinates and now wants to just leave like that?" Li Jing looked at Tang Luo, his voice icy.

"So your meaning is, you want to fight then?" Tang Luo slightly spread his fingers.

"……" Li Jing really wanted to smash the pagoda right then—could he not even speak properly anymore?

Indeed, he is the master of that lawless, heavenly monkey demon, a demonic monk, no different from a demon.

"Then let's fight; this poor monk hasn't truly exerted himself in a while." Tang Luo looked at Li Jing and said.

"Demonic monk……" Li Jing let out a cold snort, the hand resting on the sword hilt suddenly gripping it, the sword drawn, flashing a cold light.

Talks broke down completely.

From the fact that he directly brought forth a host of heavenly soldiers and generals, it's clear he never intended to let things be resolved peacefully.

Tang Luo raised his hand and slapped; a vast illusory palm appeared before him, sweeping toward Li Jing.

The sword light struck the great palm print, merely causing it to pause slightly before shattering with a boom, utterly unable to stop it from descending upon Li Jing.

"Ha!"

The heavenly soldiers behind Li Jing all let out a fierce shout in unison, twisting their spears and thrusting toward the great palm print.

A colossal spear shadow formed, crashing heavily into the palm's center.

The two collided, producing no sound at all.

Simultaneously annihilated, the surrounding space became a blur of chaos and distortion; many heavenly soldiers staggered and fell straight down.

Before they could even truly land on the clouds, they vanished like sparks of fire.

For a moment, the surroundings seemed to dim, then returned to normal.

"Form the array! Kill!" Li Jing shouted sternly, raising his left hand upward; the pagoda in his hand flew into midair and vanished.

When it reappeared, it was already above Tang Luo's head; a beam of light extended from the pagoda, enveloping Tang Luo.

Tang Luo's body swayed slightly; the pagoda instantly appeared at his location.

It turned two meters tall, while Tang Luo himself had already vanished, collected into the pagoda.

Li Muzha narrowed his eyes, his expression turning slightly grave. Victorious Fighting Buddha, injured to this extent?

Collected into the Linglong Pagoda in a single move — this is no good omen.

"Heh." Zhu Bajie didn't even glance at the pagoda; the nine-toothed rake in his hand spun once. "Old Li, don't blame me for not remembering old ties."

As he spoke, the rake reversed, sweeping from below upward.

Towering waves instantly surged from the vortex on the sea surface, sweeping into the sky; raging torrents rushed into the heavenly soldiers' formation.

Drawing large numbers of heavenly soldiers into them, the formation instantly fell into disorder.

"Tianpeng." Li Jing merely gave Zhu Bajie a cold look; he had to use the pagoda to suppress Tang Luo, and couldn't spare a hand to deal with him.

He could only let these heavenly soldiers contend with the former Marshal Tianpeng, later great demon, now Pure Altar Envoy.

Li Jing believed the heavenly soldiers he had built with his own hand were not that weak.

Those heavenly soldiers were indeed not that weak; swept into the raging torrents, they were already resisting and struggling, while more heavenly soldiers outside formed up, their offensive fierce.

"Second Senior Brother, I'll help you!"

Ao Yulie shouted loudly, waving the Gale Fan in his hand; between heaven and earth, dozens of visible terrifying tornadoes instantly appeared, mixed with freezing, bone-piercing raindrops.

Many heavenly soldiers' bodies involuntarily "flew with the wind," unable to control themselves.

The raindrops turned into blades, falling on their armor and weapons, peeling away the armor bit by bit, destroying the weapons.

Thunder roared on top of that.

This entire area had become like the end of the world — raging torrents, wind and rain, thunder.

The distant scene had already turned into a blur.

Li Jing was dragging the whole world to fight Tang Luo and the others.

The outcome of this battle can only be mutual destruction; there is no second ending.

Zhu Bajie and Ao Yulie were already locked in a melee with numerous heavenly soldiers.

The nine-toothed rake danced, raising blazing flames and radiant light; bringing down fierce winds and drifting auspicious snow.

Ao Yulie assisted from the side — wind, rain, thunder, lightning; occasionally transforming into a white dragon, a claw reaching out, dragon might shocking the heavens.

"Father King, you've lost."

Li Muzha walked step by step before Li Jing, looking at his own father and said.

The Li Jing before him wore a grave and solemn expression.

Before him, that golden Linglong Pagoda was trembling faintly; golden light coiled around the tower body, as if golden flames were burning.

Li Jing didn't even acknowledge Li Muzha; suppressing Tang Luo had nearly exhausted all his mental effort.

And it was only a temporary "suppression" at that.

"Father King, why won't you give up?" Li Muzha evidently understood as well; he walked before Li Jing, not rushing to act, but asking, "We're already dead — why do you still refuse to let go? You've lived this long; haven't you lived enough?"

"Rebellious son." Li Jing couldn't be bothered to discuss anything with Li Muzha at all.

He is his father; he speaks, Li Muzha obeys — a matter of course; what does he need to explain to him?

"You're always like this!"

Li Muzha's face turned ferocious. "High and mighty! You really treat yourself as Heaven?"

He pointed at the sky... then his arm unconsciously retracted a bit.

The sky right now was already a chaos of distortion, giving a sense of a great edifice about to collapse — truly no high-and-mighty feeling at all.

"What does Father need to explain to you? You rebellious son!" Li Jing looked at Li Muzha and slapped a palm toward him.

The palm stopped near Li Muzha's cheek; Li Jing's wrist was firmly seized by Li Muzha.

"What time do you think it is, and you still think you have the final say?" Li Muzha looked at Li Jing, enunciating each word.

"Rebellious son." Toward Li Muzha, Li Jing only had these two words.

Several streaks of light flew up from behind Li Jing, attacking Li Muzha.

Li Muzha released his grip, his body retreating; a golden hammer appeared in his hand, whistling as he swung.

Blocking and smashing away all those streaks of light.

The streaks of light flew back to Li Jing's side; the light dispersed, revealing their true forms — they were knives, Heavenly Gang Knives.

Li Muzha's face grew even more ferocious.

Back then, by Guanyin's order, he went to help... well, he can't really say whether he was helping the scripture-fetchers or Red Boy at the time.

At that time, Muzha borrowed the Heavenly Gang Knives from Li Jing.

Later, in this illusory world, Li Muzha was beaten by the Heavenly Gang Knives into the state Tang Luo and the others saw.

Now, the Heavenly Gang Knives have appeared before his eyes again.

Without a shred of sound, silently, surging rage burst forth; the golden hammer descended toward Li Jing's head.

The Heavenly Gang Knives flew up dancing, colliding with the golden hammer, shattering piece by piece.

Utterly unable to block Li Muzha's furiously enraged strike.

Several more streaks of light flew out from beside Li Jing.

The Square Heaven Trident, Six Chen Whip, Demon-Subduing Pestle, and other magic treasures flew up, heading for Li Muzha.

The light was dazzlingly brilliant, yet concealed terrifying killing intent.

Li Muzha charged recklessly, going against the flow; his body struck by the magic treasures, in an instant he was wounded into the same state as when Tang Luo and the others first saw him.

Yet he still forced his way to Li Jing's front, the golden hammer in his hand unable to bear the burden and shattering; as the fragments blasted onto Li Jing's body, Li Muzha reached out and grabbed.

A Wu Hook gleaming with cold light appeared in his hand, striking at Li Jing's head.

The precious sword in Li Jing's hand crossed horizontally, blocking before his body, barely blocking Li Muzha's strike.

His golden armor was already tattered and riddled with holes, the hat on his head had already been knocked off, his hair disheveled, his cloak like a rag.

He looked to no longer possess the majesty of just now, appearing extremely bedraggled.