84: Chapter 83 Undercurrents Rise Again

Great Yan Imperial Calendar, May 10th. The fifteenth day since the 360 gods arrived in Great Hua.

Nights on Heavenly Realm Mountain are brighter than elsewhere. Not because the moon is large, but because the palaces on the mountain are lit every night. 360 palaces, 360 lamps, glowing from the foot of the mountain all the way to the Peak, like a golden Dragon lying in the darkness. The commoners say the gods are holding a meeting. In fact, they really are.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan stood in the largest palace at the Peak, with 360 gods sitting before him. Not everyone was sitting; some stood, some crouched, and some hung from the beams. Nezha hovered in mid-air on his wind fire wheels, his Red Armillary Sash moving even without wind. Yang Jian sat in a corner with the Howling Celestial Dog lying at his feet, occasionally looking around before putting its head back down. Lei Zhenzi stood by the door, his wind-thunder wings folded behind him like two withered leaves.

"Everyone," Crown Prince Xiao Xuan began, "I didn't invite you here to be Bodhisattvas. I invited you to work."

Silence filled the hall. The gods looked at each other in bewilderment. Work? They had lived for thousands of years, and no one had ever asked them to work.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan continued, "In the northern border of Great Hua, there are remnants of the Northern Di. In the southern border, there is chaos caused by the Southern Man. In the East Sea, there are raids by Wokou. In the Western Regions, the thirty-six kingdoms are watching us like tigers. I am going to war, and I need people. Who among you is willing to go?"

After a moment of silence, Nezha was the first to raise his hand. "I'll go to the northern border. Have those Northern Di people seen my wind fire wheels?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "No. But they will soon."

Nezha grinned.

Yang Jian stood up. "I'll go to the southern border. The Gu techniques of the Southern Man cannot block my Heavenly Eye."

Lei Zhenzi said, "I'll go to the East Sea. The Wokou's ships won't withstand my thunder."

Li Jing stepped forward. "I'll go to the Western Regions. I will talk to the thirty-six kingdoms one by one. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll fight."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan looked at them and suddenly smiled. "Good. Then I shall leave the four directions of Great Hua in your hands."

He turned around and looked at the map of Great Hua's territory hanging on the wall. The northern border, the southern border, the East Sea, and the Western Regions—four directions, four battlefields. He would start the wars simultaneously and win them all at once.

After the meeting adjourned, Crown Prince Xiao Xuan stood alone at the Peak, gazing at the distant night sky. Jiang Ziya walked up to him.

"Your Highness, you've sent all 360 gods out at once. Aren't you afraid they won't follow orders?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "I'm not afraid. Because they aren't my soldiers. They are my guests. If a guest wants to leave, I won't stop them. If a guest wants to stay, I'll give them work to do."

Jiang Ziya was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "Your Highness, you've changed."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan smiled. "Master Jiang, you've said that many times."

Jiang Ziya also smiled. "This time, it's true."

Heavenly Realm, Fengshen Terrace. Yin Jiao stood in the center of the hall with four of his accomplices before him. They had been standing there for three days. Three days ago, Crown Prince Xiao Xuan had taken the 360 gods to the mortal realm, leaving the Heavenly Realm empty. Only the five of them remained.

"Master," one accomplice spoke, "what should we do?"

Yin Jiao remained silent. He was also thinking about this question. Crown Prince Xiao Xuan was gone and the Heavenly Realm was empty, but he couldn't go down. Because the Gate of the Heavenly Realm was in Crown Prince Xiao Xuan's hands.

"Wait," Yin Jiao finally spoke. "Wait for news from Shen Gongbao."

Just as he finished speaking, a voice came from outside the hall. "No need to wait. I'm here."

A black light shot in from outside and landed in the center of the hall, transforming into a person—Shen Gongbao. His shoulder was still wrapped in bandages, a wound left by General Zhao Yun.

Yin Jiao looked at him, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Shen Gongbao smiled slightly. "I've come to help you."

Yin Jiao sneered. "Help me? You can barely protect yourself, yet you want to help me?"

Shen Gongbao wasn't angry. He simply took a black stone from his robes. The stone was pitch black and covered in dense runes. The runes emitted a faint red glow in the darkness, like a living creature breathing.

Yin Jiao's expression changed. "This is—"

Shen Gongbao said, "The remnant soul of the Evil God. When the Heavenly Emperor fell, the Evil God died too. But his remnant soul did not dissipate; it was sealed within the investiture of the gods. When Crown Prince Xiao Xuan opened the investiture of the gods, the remnant soul escaped. I found it."

Yin Jiao stared at the stone, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes. If he could absorb the power of the Evil God...

Shen Gongbao seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled. "Don't be in a hurry. This isn't for you. It's for us. We will use it together to open the Gate of the Heavenly Realm and descend. We'll kill Crown Prince Xiao Xuan and seize the heavenly emperor seal. At that time, you will be the Heavenly Emperor, and I will be the Prime Minister. Both the Heavenly Realm and the mortal world will be ours."

Yin Jiao was silent for a long time. Then he reached out and grasped the stone.

Huadu, Crown Princes Mansion. Basement level.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan sat in the main seat, a secret report sent by Zhao Gao spread out before him. The report had come from the Heavenly Realm—Yin Jiao and Shen Gongbao had formed an alliance.

He handed the report to Zhang Liang. After reading it, Zhang Liang's brow furrowed. "Your Highness, Shen Gongbao found a remnant soul of the Evil God?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan nodded.

Zhang Liang said, "The power of the Evil God's remnant soul is enough to open the Gate of the Heavenly Realm. When the time comes, Yin Jiao and Shen Gongbao will lead those four accomplices down—"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan interrupted him. "I know. That's why I must strike first."

He stood up and walked to the territory map, pointing at the location of the Heavenly Realm. "Issue the order. In three days, I will open the Gate of the Heavenly Realm again. This time, it's not to form an alliance. It's to fight."

Zhang Liang was stunned. "Your Highness, can't the Gate of the Heavenly Realm only be opened once every three years?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "That was a lie the gods of the Heavenly Realm told Lei Zhenzi. The Gate of the Heavenly Realm can be opened whenever I want. As long as I am willing."

He turned around and looked at everyone in the hall. "In three days, I will lead a group to the Heavenly Realm. General Xiang Yu, General Li Yuanba, General Zhao Yun, General Bai Qi, General Han Xin, Zhuge Liang, and Prince Ying Zheng will follow me. Yang Jian, Nezha, and Lei Zhenzi will also come. The rest will stay in Huadu to guard Great Hua."

Everyone cupped their hands in unison. "Yes!"

Three days later. The Gate of the Heavenly Realm opened once more. A golden pillar of light shot up from the Huadu palace, piercing straight into the clouds. Within the pillar of light, Crown Prince Xiao Xuan led seven people and three gods into the gate.

The world spun and space-time distorted. By the time they regained their senses, they were standing on the Fengshen Terrace square. The square was empty; the 365 stone pillars were still there, but the gods were gone. Because the gods had all gone to the mortal realm.

Yin Jiao stood at the entrance of the main hall, holding the black stone. Behind him stood Shen Gongbao and the four accomplices. He looked at Crown Prince Xiao Xuan and suddenly smiled.

"Xiao Xuan, you've finally come. I've been waiting for you for three days."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan looked at him. "I am here. Where is the Evil God's remnant soul?"

Yin Jiao held up the stone. "It's here. You want it? Come and take it."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan didn't speak. He simply drew his zhutian sword, and the heavenly emperor seal at his waist began to glow. Golden light flared, illuminating the entire square. Yin Jiao's face changed. He hadn't expected Crown Prince Xiao Xuan's cultivation to have risen again. Heavenly God Realm Early Stage Peak.

"You—" He had just started to speak when Crown Prince Xiao Xuan charged forward. The zhutian sword turned into a golden light, stabbing straight at Yin Jiao's chest. Yin Jiao raised the stone, and the black light collided with the golden light with a thunderous boom, making the entire square tremble.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan retreated five steps, and Yin Jiao also retreated five steps. The two looked at each other, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

"The power of the Evil God's remnant soul is indeed strong," Crown Prince Xiao Xuan said indifferently.

Yin Jiao sneered. "Scared?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "Not afraid. Because the power of the Evil God's remnant soul is not yours. You are only borrowing it. Borrowed things must be returned sooner or later."

He charged forward again. This time, he didn't use the zhutian sword but the heavenly emperor seal. The seal flew from his waist and hovered in mid-air, emitting a brilliant golden light. The golden light transformed into a sharp sword and stabbed toward Yin Jiao. Yin Jiao raised the stone, and the black and golden lights collided once more. This time, the black light shattered. The stone cracked, and the Evil God's remnant soul escaped from the fissure, turning into a plume of black smoke and flying toward the sky.

Yin Jiao's face changed drastically. "No—"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan didn't look at him but at the black smoke. Jiang Ziya appeared beside him, flicked his fishing rod, and a golden light enveloped the black smoke. The black smoke struggled within the golden light, letting out a shrill scream. Gradually, the screaming stopped, and the black smoke vanished.

"The Evil God's remnant soul is destroyed." Jiang Ziya put away his fishing rod.

Yin Jiao slumped to the ground, his face pale. He knew he was finished. Shen Gongbao had already gone. While he and Crown Prince Xiao Xuan were clashing, Shen Gongbao had fled.

"Yin Jiao," Crown Prince Xiao Xuan looked down at him, "I'll give you a chance. Surrender, and I won't kill you."

Yin Jiao looked at him and was silent for a long time. Then he laughed, a smile filled with bitterness and unwillingness. "This seat will not surrender. I am the son of King Zhou of Shang, not a lackey of the Martial King of Zhou."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan nodded. "Good. Then I shall grant you your wish."

He turned and walked away. Behind him, General Xiang Yu stepped forward, raised the tiger-headed coiling dragon halberd, and brought it down. Yin Jiao fell.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan walked out of the Fengshen Terrace and stood on the square, looking at the sky of the Heavenly Realm. The sky was very blue, with no clouds and no wind. He suddenly felt a bit cold.