Chapter 98: The Jade Emperor makes a move, Yuding makes a move

Yao Ji had remained silent the whole time, mainly because she was shocked by her own two children.

She had not expected that in just ten years, her children would have become so formidable.

"They must have suffered a great deal during these ten years," Yao Ji thought to herself while lying on Yang Jian's back.

After this thought, tears welled up in her eyes; if not for her, her Dalang and Erlang would not have endured so much hardship.

"Wait!" Yao Ji suddenly thought of something and called out.

"Mother, we cannot wait. We can only rest once we enter Mount Shouyang," Yang Jian said.

"You two are here, but what about your little sister?" Yao Ji suddenly asked.

"Mother, Little Sister is currently under the tutelage of Goddess Nüwa and is very safe. We did not notify her when we came to rescue you," Yang Jiao said with a smile.

No sooner had Yang Jiao finished speaking than an attack flew toward them. Yang Jiao did not even look; he raised his hand and blocked the attack.

"Dalang, what is going on with you?" Yao Ji asked, looking at Yang Jiao with some curiosity.

Because Yang Jiao had transformed into a completely different appearance, which Yao Ji found very strange.

"Mother, this is caused by the Golden Core Great Dao cultivation technique. I am practicing the 'Wu Transformation' from the Wu-Demon Transformation of the Golden Core Great Dao. This appearance is that of the Great Wu Kuafu, and Erlang is practicing the 'Demon Transformation'," Yang Jiao said with a smile.

Upon hearing Yang Jiao's words, Yang Jian grinned. The next second, Yao Ji discovered she was lying on the back of a tiger.

"Mother, sit tight; we are going to accelerate," Yang Jian said.

Upon hearing Yang Jian's words, Yao Ji instinctively grabbed the fur on the neck of the tiger that Yang Jian had transformed into.

In the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor, who was watching this scene through the Kunlun Mirror, did not speak, but his gloomy expression indicated that he was on the verge of an outburst.

"Useless, all useless!" the Jade Emperor suddenly said.

After speaking, the Jade Emperor vanished from where he stood. Seeing this, the Queen Mother merely sighed slightly.

She had no way to persuade the Jade Emperor on such matters, nor would she try, because this involved the dignity of the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Laws.

"Wicked spawn!" Suddenly, a roar came from the sky, causing Yang Jiao and Yang Jian, who were fleeing, to stumble.

"It is the Jade Emperor; he has pursued us," Yao Ji said, her brows furrowing upon hearing the voice.

The heavenly soldiers also stumbled upon hearing the Jade Emperor's voice.

The next second, the Jade Emperor appeared in front of Yang Jiao and Yang Jian, looking down at them from above.

"Wicked spawn! Keep running if you can!" The Jade Emperor looked coldly at the two, his Quasi-Saint aura pressing down so hard that Yang Jiao and Yang Jian could not even straighten their backs.

"Brother Jade Emperor..."

"Silence, you base woman! If not for you, would I have lost such face? Would the Heavenly Court have lost such face? You are not worthy of being my sister." Before Yao Ji could finish her words, she was interrupted by the Jade Emperor.

"Today, I shall kill you and these two wicked spawn to restore the dignity of my Heavenly Court," the Jade Emperor said, looking at Yao Ji with disgust.

After speaking, the Jade Emperor raised his hand and struck with his palm. As this palm was struck, a giant palm suddenly appeared in the sky, pressing down toward Yang Jiao and Yang Jian.

"Move! Move!" Yang Jiao's eyes were wide, his face flushed red, and he roared in a low voice.

But it was of no use. The Jade Emperor was a peak Quasi-Saint, and the gap between him and a Taiyi Golden Immortal was not small. If the Jade Emperor were only an early-stage Quasi-Saint, Yang Jiao might have had a hope of breaking free.

Just as the giant palm was about to land on Yang Jiao and Yang Jian, a sword light suddenly flew in from afar, instantly shattering the giant palm.

After the giant palm was shattered, the Jade Emperor let out a muffled grunt, then put his hand behind his back.

When the Jade Emperor put his hand behind his back, a drop of fresh blood fell silently to the ground, but it went unnoticed by everyone.

"What? Wanting to bully the young with your seniority?" Yuding's voice appeared in the ears of Yang Jiao and Yang Jian.

"Master!" Yang Jiao and Yang Jian shouted in surprise.

The next second, the Daoist Yuding, dressed in green robes, appeared beside Yang Jiao and Yang Jian.

When he appeared, Yang Jiao and Yang Jian felt their bodies relax, and the aura that had been pressing down on them vanished instantly.

"If you want to fight, this Daoist will accompany you," Daoist Yuding said, looking coldly at the Jade Emperor.

"Yuding, this is my family business; it is not your place to interfere," the Jade Emperor said in a low voice.

"They are this Daoist's disciples," Yuding said indifferently.

"So you are determined to set yourself against me?"

"You ask what you already know. Did you go to the Zixiao Palace just to listen to the Dao?" Yuding looked at the Jade Emperor, a sneer appearing on his face.

"Good! Very good!" The Jade Emperor was so angry he laughed.

"Kill them for me!" the Jade Emperor said to the heavenly soldiers and generals who had already caught up.

Upon hearing the Jade Emperor's words, the faces of the heavenly soldiers and generals instantly drained of color. The Daoist Yuding before them was a Quasi-Saint; the Jade Emperor was actually ordering them to kill a Quasi-Saint—wasn't he overestimating them too much?

Yuding did not speak; he merely cast a glance, and all the heavenly soldiers and generals put away their weapons, their faces wearing expressions of obedient children.

"If you want to fight, this Daoist will fight you. If not, get out of the way," Yuding said, looking coldly at the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor stood before Yuding, unable to fight and unable to retreat.

If he fought, he would likely lose, and then his face would be completely gone. But if he retreated, both the Heavenly Court's and his own face would be gone.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor felt some regret. He regretted rashly coming to intercept Yang Jiao and the others. He knew they were disciples of the Ren Sect, and he knew that people of the Ren Sect were extremely protective of their own. Why hadn't he thought twice at the time?

Seeing the Jade Emperor's face turn from blue to white, Yuding did not expose him; he simply bypassed the Jade Emperor and led Yang Jiao and the others away.

When Yuding led Yang Jian and the others away, the Jade Emperor finally could not hold back. He released his full aura, and all the heavenly soldiers present, except for the Judicial God, were wiped out by the Jade Emperor.

"Fool!" Yuanshi Tianzun snorted coldly upon seeing the Jade Emperor act this way.

Now that the struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao was approaching, the Jade Emperor was actually engaging in internal attrition within the Heavenly Court. It was as if he were afraid of not losing.

"Hmph! I didn't expect you to make an issue out of Yao Ji's affair, and I ended up making a wedding dress for you! But so what? The struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao cannot have its outcome changed by any single person," Yuanshi Tianzun said again.

In Yuanshi Tianzun's view, the struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao would certainly be won by the Heavenly Dao, because the Heavenly Dao had the support of five Saints, while Pan Huang only had the Ren Sect, which could not stir up much trouble.

"You take Yao Ji to see Yang Tianyou first; I am going to see your grandmaster," Daoist Yuding said to the Yang brothers after returning to Mount Shouyang, and then he left.

When Yang Tianyou saw Yao Ji, he was stunned for a moment, and then a look of joy appeared on his face. He took two quick steps to Yao Ji and, without waiting for her to say anything, pulled her directly into his arms.

Yao Ji also reacted at this moment, hugging Yang Tianyou tightly, as if she wanted to melt him into her own body.

Seeing this scene, Yang Jian and Yang Jiao merely exchanged a glance and left the space to their father and mother. Their father and mother had not seen each other for ten years; they must have had many things to say.

"Greetings, Master, Mistress!" After arriving at the Sheng Huang Palace, Yuding bowed to Pan Huang, Xihe, and Changxi.

"Was Yao Ji rescued?"

"Yes!"

"Then let them stay with you for now. They are the most important link in my plan; there must be no mishaps with them," Pan Huang said to Daoist Yuding.

"Master, rest assured, this disciple will certainly not let anything happen to Yang Tianyou's family," Yuding nodded.

"Cultivate Yang Jiao and Yang Jian well; they will be the vanguard of our great war against the Heavenly Dao," Pan Huang said again.

"Yes!" Yuding nodded again.

"Then you may return."

"This disciple takes his leave!" Yuding bowed to Pan Huang and then left the Sheng Huang Palace.

"I wonder what the Three Xiao sisters are doing lately?" Pan Huang suddenly said.

"They have been in Zhaoge lately. After Di Yi abdicated, Zi Shou succeeded to the throne. Wen Zhong is a veteran of three dynasties, and Kong Xuan and Dapeng are the guardian divine beasts of the Yin-Shang, so they remained in Zhaoge," Changxi said with a smile.

"Di Xin has succeeded to the throne?" Pan Huang was somewhat surprised; it seemed he had not paid attention to human affairs for a long time.

"Yes! He has been on the throne for less than three years." Xihe nodded.

"Di Xin has succeeded to the throne... It seems the time is coming," Pan Huang murmured.

Just as Pan Huang was thinking, the Saints also received the news: the time was ripe to send their disciples to serve in the Heavenly Court.

The Western Sect was the most proactive; the moment they received the news from Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao, they sent their disciples to the Heavenly Court.

It was just that the quality of these disciples was hard to describe, but the Western Sect had an excuse: the West was barren, and being able to find these disciples had already emptied the entire West, which made everyone shut their mouths.

"You all are going to the Heavenly Court; you must not disgrace the dignity of our Saint sect!" Yuanshi Tianzun said indifferently, looking at the disciples before him.

"Yes, Master!" the Chan Sect disciples bowed and said.

"Go!" Yuanshi Tianzun waved his hand.

At the same time, the same thing was happening in the other Saint sects, nothing more than words about not disgracing the dignity of the Saints.

"Great Patriarch, the Saint sects have taken action." Ruyi came to Pan Huang's side.

"Yes! Then we must also start preparing. I just don't know what method they will use to light this fuse," Pan Huang nodded.

He was now very curious: in the struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao, what would the fuse be? And how would this fuse be lit?

"What is Yun Zhongzi doing lately?" Pan Huang suddenly asked; it seemed he had not seen Yun Zhongzi for a long time.

"Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi has been in seclusion for a long time," Ruyi said.

"Yes! Go tell the Three Xiao sisters to pay attention to the changes in Zhaoge and Di Xin. Once they discover anything unusual, tell me immediately," Pan Huang said.

During the Great Investiture Calamity, it was the Western Sect that meddled, causing Di Xin to lose himself, which led to subsequent events. He did not want such a thing to happen again.

"Yes, Great Patriarch." Ruyi nodded.

In Zhaoge, after the Three Xiao sisters received Ruyi's message, they immediately replied to Ruyi, telling her to inform their Master that they would definitely pay attention.

"It has begun. Now let's see whose chess skills are higher," Pan Huang said, looking toward the direction of the Zixiao Palace with a smile.

Just as Pan Huang looked toward the Zixiao Palace, Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao also turned his gaze toward Mount Shouyang.

"The Human Race being the protagonist of heaven and earth is the great trend of the Heavenly Dao, so the Human Dao being subordinate to the Heavenly Dao is also the trend of the times. Turning the tables? Hmph!" Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao snorted coldly.

Upon hearing the words of Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao, Hongjun of the Xuan Sect did not say anything. He now wanted to be a bystander, quietly watching the struggle between the Human Race and the Heavenly Dao.

If the Human Dao won, his hope of breaking away from the Heavenly Dao would increase by a fraction. If the Heavenly Dao won, he would continue to look for opportunities; he, Hongjun of the Xuan Sect, had plenty of time.

"Great Patriarch, the Three Xiao sisters have sent a message." Ruyi walked into the Sheng Huang Palace.

"Is there any unusual movement in Zhaoge?" Pan Huang asked.

"Yes!" Ruyi nodded.

"What happened?"

"A large number of human deaths have occurred in the Nine Provinces. After Di Xin investigated, he discovered that it was the River Gods, Mountain Gods, and other local deities appointed by the Heavenly Court that were causing trouble, making the humans use human sacrifices to worship them," Ruyi said, looking at Pan Huang. 【101】 "Are those local deities from the Demon Race?" Pan Huang's brows furrowed instantly upon hearing Ruyi's words. 【102】 The Nine Provinces were protected by the Nine Cauldrons, but as time passed, the current Nine Provinces had far fewer restrictions compared to when Great Yu was on the throne, which gave opportunities to those with ulterior motives. 【103】 "I understand. How does Di Xin plan to handle this?" Pan Huang asked. 【104】 "The Three Xiao sisters sent word that Di Xin plans to ban these Mountain Gods and Land Gods. Only those recognized by the fortune of the Human Race are legitimate sacrifices; the rest are all illicit sacrifices." 【105】 "Yes, you may go down first." Pan Huang nodded. 【106】 "Yes." Ruyi nodded. 【107】 "Is this the fuse for the struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao?" After Ruyi left, Pan Huang murmured to himself. 【108】 No one responded to Pan Huang; perhaps only Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao and the few Saints knew the specific situation. 【109】 After speaking, Pan Huang contacted the Great Golden Crow. 【110】 "What is going on in Zhaoge?" Pan Huang asked. 【111】 "You know, the Demon Race was not a monolith even in the era of Di Jun, let alone now. I can keep the Demon Race under my jurisdiction in check, but there are many Demon Races not under my jurisdiction. We nine Golden Crows have brought the vast majority of the Demon Race under control, but there are always some who slip through the net," the Great Golden Crow said helplessly. 【112】 He was also paying attention to the struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao. The Great Golden Crow had originally wanted to take this opportunity to have a small-scale integration between the Demon Race and the Human Race, but the Zhaoge affair caught the Great Golden Crow off guard. 【113】 Initially, he thought these so-called Mountain Gods and River Gods were just some mountain spirits and ghosts, but he did not expect them to all be Demon Race, and these Demon Race were all outside the jurisdiction of the Great Golden Crow and the others. 【114】 Clearly, this was done deliberately by the Jade Emperor. As for the reason for doing so, that was hard to say. 【115】 "I understand!" Pan Huang nodded. 【116】 "Do you need me to handle it?" the Great Golden Crow asked. 【117】 "No, you just stay in the Heavenly Court. Your existence with me must not be exposed," Pan Huang said hurriedly. 【118】 "Good!" 【119】 "This matter is very likely to become the fuse for the struggle between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao. If you want to gain benefits from this, you must start preparing in advance," Pan Huang said to the Great Golden Crow. 【120】 "Understood!" the Great Golden Crow replied. 【121】 (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 99 =====

"Are those earth deities part of the Demon Race?" Pan Huang's brows furrowed the moment he heard Ruoyi's words.

The Nine Provinces are protected by the Nine Cauldrons, but as time has passed, the current Nine Provinces have far fewer restrictions compared to when Great Yu was on the throne, which has given those with ill intentions an opportunity.

"I understand. How does Di Xin plan to handle this matter now?" Pan Huang asked.

"The Three Xiao sisters sent word that Di Xin intends to ban these mountain gods and land deities. Only those recognized by the fortune of the human race are considered legitimate sacrifices; all others are illicit sacrifices."

"Understood. You may go now." Pan Huang nodded.

"Yes." Ruoyi nodded.

"Is this the fuse for the conflict between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao?" After Ruoyi left, Pan Huang muttered to himself.

No one responded to Pan Huang; perhaps only Hongjun of the Heavenly Dao and a few Saints know the specific situation.

After speaking, Pan Huang contacted the Great Golden Crow.

"What is going on over in Zhaoge?" Pan Huang asked.

"You know that the Demon Race was not a monolith even in the era of Di Jun, let alone now. I can keep the Demon Race under my jurisdiction in check, but there are many others not under my control. We nine Golden Crows govern the vast majority of the Demon Race, but there are always some who slip through the net," the Great Golden Crow said helplessly.

He had also been paying attention to the conflict between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao. The Great Golden Crow had hoped to use this opportunity to facilitate a small-scale integration between the Demon Race and the human race, but the events in Zhaoge caught him off guard.

Initially, he thought these so-called mountain and river gods were just mountain spirits and ghosts; he never expected them to be entirely composed of the Demon Race, and specifically those outside his and his brothers' jurisdiction.

It is quite clear that this was done deliberately by the Jade Emperor. As for the reason, that is hard to say.

"I see!" Pan Huang nodded.

"Do you need me to handle it?" the Great Golden Crow asked.

"No, you all stay in the Heavenly Court. Your existence and mine must not be exposed," Pan Huang said quickly.

"Understood!"

"This matter is very likely to become the fuse for the conflict between the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao. If you want to reap benefits from this, you must start preparing in advance," Pan Huang said to the Great Golden Crow.

"Understood!" the Great Golden Crow replied.

(End of chapter)