Nezha wasn’t wrapped in the Cosmic Silk nor adorned with the Qiankun Rings. He merely held the Fire-Tipped Spear in hand, standing grimly at the entrance of the Bodhisattva of Joy’s cave abode. His eyes seemed to smolder with dark flames, burning fiercely with hatred and impulse, yet also concealing lingering hesitation and inner turmoil.
Upon seeing it was him, the Bull Demon King quietly exhaled half a breath of relief and spoke in a deep, muffled voice, “I know you and Taiyi Heavenly Venerable were close, but his death wasn’t my fault. The main reason was his stalled cultivation—he couldn’t break through, had exhausted all life-extending elixirs, and thus met his natural end. Even without that severe injury, the outcome wouldn’t have changed. At most, he might’ve lived another century or so.”
“Look, even your sect leader, the Venerable Su, hasn’t tried to resurrect him, has he?”
Thankfully, it was this matter. If the Bodhisattva of Joy had handed him directly to the Celestial Emperor, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable—he might not even have had the chance to be resurrected by the Demon Empress!
Nezha’s eyes brimmed with complex emotions, his heart swirling like a vortex. Yet his feet, though heavy, took a resolute step forward into the cave, as if driven by some primal instinct.
Seeing this, the Bull Demon King’s earlier optimism vanished, replaced by a grave expression tinged with fear.
“Nezha, think carefully. Even if the Celestial Emperor is currently masking the changes, it won’t fool the Demon Empress or the Venerable Su forever. What will you achieve by killing me? They’ll simply reverse time and resurrect me. Your actions will be meaningless, and you’ll only bring blame upon yourself!”
He wasn’t afraid of Nezha attacking—what terrified him was the unpredictable consequences of his death, which might render resurrection impossible.
The Bodhisattva of Joy covered her mouth with a light chuckle, as if mocking the Bull Demon King for his usual boasts of heroism while cowering in fear of death. At the same time, she swiftly retreated from the cave, vanishing into the starry void.
The dark flames in Nezha’s eyes grew heavier, nearly solidifying. With a flick of his Fire-Tipped Spear, he took slow, deliberate steps forward, his voice hollow, as if echoing from beyond the heavens:
“I know this is meaningless.”
“I also know my master’s death wasn’t primarily your fault. But back when I mistakenly killed disciples of Shiji, flayed the Dragon King’s third son, and acted recklessly, my master’s protection was equally meaningless. It didn’t change the fact that I died and only revived thanks to the Chaos Green Lotus Seed. Yet he still did it. Now, should I stand by and watch the one who grievously wounded him—indirectly causing his death—flaunt his glory before me, just because revenge is meaningless?”
“Can altering history erase what happened? Then why does this fury in my heart refuse to fade?”
Memories of the Investiture of the Gods flashed through his mind—his birth father treating him like trash, wishing for his death, while his master stood by him unwaveringly.
“I’ve always been a troublemaker anyway. At worst, I’ll pay with my life!”
With a low shout, Nezha thrust his spear toward the Bull Demon King’s brow—swift, decisive, without hesitation.
“You—” The Bull Demon King barely uttered a word before feeling the piercing pain at his brow, an agony and terror unlike anything he’d experienced in all his millennia.
His vision darkened instantly. His body erupted in invisible flames, turning to ashes. The fear and despair of death took root deep in his heart before everything dissolved into nothingness—no thought, no sensation, no existence.
Nezha withdrew his spear, two trails of tears streaking his delicate face. With a leap, he vanished toward the Jade Void Palace to confess his crime to the sect leader.
—
A day earlier, the Bull Demon King had been contemplating how to indulge in pleasures after the ceremony when he saw the fox spirit Qingqiu descend on a fragrant breeze at his doorstep.
“The Empress summons the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven to the Demon Emperor’s Hall,” Qingqiu said with a smile.
Every gesture of hers exuded natural charm, captivating even the purest of minds. The Bull Demon King swallowed hard, his heart swaying, before obediently heading to the hall.
Inside, he kept his eyes lowered and spoke reverently, “What does the Empress command of this humble bull?”
“You face a calamity of death. Sit here in meditation for a day to resolve it.” The Demon Empress’s voice, neither angry nor pleased, came from behind layered curtains.
A calamity of death? The Bull Demon King shuddered, knowing the Empress wouldn’t lie about such matters. He hastily sat down, not daring to move an inch until the present moment.
Now, memories of another timeline flooded his mind—the terror, despair, and pain as vivid as if they’d just happened.
“Damn the Celestial Emperor! Damn the Bodhisattva of Joy! Damn Nezha!” he cursed through gritted teeth, his composure shattered.
Thankfully, the Empress’s protection had given him a second chance.
At this thought, he leapt to his feet and cried, “Empress, you must uphold justice for this humble bull!”
The Celestial Emperor was a figure of the far shore. Without preparation, even the Demon Empress wouldn’t act rashly. The Bodhisattva of Joy was under his protection, so they had to bide their time. But Nezha had shattered the alliance between the Jade Void lineage and the demon race by killing him once—surely he deserved punishment?
“The Celestial Emperor’s schemes are overt. Don’t leap into his trap,” the Demon Empress said coolly as the curtains stirred faintly. “Leave Nezha to Su Meng to handle.”
Though resentful, the Bull Demon King dared not argue. He bowed and said, “Then may the Venerable Su judge fairly.”
He left the hall as if nothing had happened. Yet every time he recalled the agony, despair, and darkness of death, he trembled with fury.
By now, the demon saints had all learned of the incident. Their expressions varied, but their attention turned to the Jade Void Palace, awaiting its judgment.
—
Inside the Jade Void Palace, Nezha knelt at the center of the grand hall. Before him, a pure halo of light hung in the depths, casting a gentle glow.
“Punish this disciple, Uncle-Master,” he said calmly.
Behind the halo, the blurred figure of Meng Qi gazed at him. “Punish you? For what crime?”
“Does our Jade Void Palace forbid avenging one’s master?”
Nezha was stunned, then warmth surged in his chest. His eyes reddened as he choked out, “This disciple feared disrupting Uncle-Master’s plans.”
Meng Qi smiled faintly. “This humble Daoist treats demons and humans equally, but that doesn’t mean interfering in personal grudges. Even among humans, conflict can’t be banned—unless all enter the Earthly Buddha-Kingdom or the Vacuous Pure Land. In short, I act only in accordance with my conscience, striving for the best within that framework.”
Nezha grinned suddenly. “When I saw Uncle-Master’s blade strike at the Golden Emperor, I was awestruck.”
When he left the palace unharmed and returned to his abode, the demon saints’ expressions darkened.
Seated in the chaos, Meng Qi sighed softly.
—
Deep in the Nine Nether Abyss, atop a pitch-black peak.
The Devil Buddha A’nan smiled as he gazed into the distance, where Han Guang hid. He transmitted his voice: “Su Meng’s strength lies in his conscience—and so does his weakness. We needn’t stir chaos immediately. Just prick the festering wound and plant discord. At the critical moment, it will prove decisive.”
“Moreover, after this, the Bull Demon King’s fear and resentment will fester. I can guide him to corruption in secret.”
The true purpose of this move was to draw the other far shore beings’ attention to his secret dealings with the Celestial Emperor. Combined with the tacit understanding between the Golden Emperor and the Celestial Emperor regarding the Investiture Scroll, it would mask other schemes—though this needed no explanation to Han Guang.
Han Guang listened pensively, then remarked, “No wonder you’re hailed as the foremost demon of this era. Even the Celestial Emperor set aside past grievances to ally with you.”
“But he’ll likely betray us at the pivotal moment,” the Devil Buddha sneered. “That’s why I’ve kept you, nurtured you—to restrain him when the time comes.”
He spoke frankly, as if unconcerned about betrayal.
After a pause, Han Guang said, “I have one more question.”
“Ask.”
“The Golden Emperor claimed that after the late ancient times, both the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable were impersonated by her. Yet you were suppressed in the medieval era, beneath the Bodhi Wonderful Tree’s seal, with an additional Three Treasures Ruyi Seal. Was that the real Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s doing, or the Golden Emperor’s guise? And how did she bypass the Buddha’s Bodhi Wonderful Tree to place it?” Han Guang’s impression of this matter was particularly vivid.
The Devil Buddha fell silent, then suddenly chuckled. “It was the true Primordial Heavenly Venerable!”
“And aside from the Buddha who initially defeated me, the subsequent Five Elements Mountain seal, the Three Treasures Ruyi, and the Bodhi Wonderful Tree—all were the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s work!”
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