Chapter 18

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Listening to the affectionate exchanges between the Bull Demon King and his wife, Princess Iron Fan, it was a scene that made one envy the mandarin ducks more than the immortals. However, at this moment, our protagonist Yang Zhen was over five thousand miles away, in a desolate desert, braving the scorching sun, and rushing back as fast as he could.

What a humiliation, a great humiliation!

Facing the Bull Demon King, he had never suffered such a great loss. He never thought that Princess Iron Fan would fan him away over five thousand miles with just one swipe of her fan. The feeling of being carried away by the wind made Yang Zhen so depressed that he felt like vomiting.

After flying about half the distance, Yang Zhen suddenly stopped. Even if he caught up with the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan, he was probably no match for the Banana Leaf Fan. If they fanned him again, wouldn't he be flung out another five thousand miles?

"How did Sun Wukong counter the Banana Leaf Fan in 'Journey to the West'?" Yang Zhen thought to himself, "Right! Sun Wukong used the Wind-Stopping Pearl given by the Bodhisattva Lingji to counter the Banana Leaf Fan. But where can I find the Wind-Stopping Pearl? Go to Lingji Bodhisattva's Mount Xiaoermi? Ha, I would immediately be dealt with by Lingji Bodhisattva for subduing demons..."

After a moment of thought, Yang Zhen gave up on the idea of chasing the Bull Demon King. At least until he had a way to counter the Banana Leaf Fan, it was best not to provoke this couple. After all, the Bull Demon King wouldn't dare to easily provoke him now. Besides, after the events of 'Journey to the West,' the Bull Demon King didn't have a good end.

Moreover, it was said that Princess Iron Fan had a very powerful backer. It was rumored that she had a connection with the Ancestral Lord of the Blood Sea, Lord Miheng. The Banana Leaf Fan in Princess Iron Fan's possession was originally a magical treasure of Lord Miheng. When Princess Iron Fan married the Bull Demon King, Lord Miheng gave this treasure as a dowry.

The Banana Leaf Fan was a primordial magical treasure, with only four in existence, each with extraordinary power. Since Lord Miheng had bestowed it upon Princess Iron Fan, it showed her importance in his heart.

Therefore, Yang Zhen dared to kill the Bull Demon King but did not dare to harm Princess Iron Fan, fearing Lord Miheng.

"Since I'm already out, why not go to Flower Fruit Mountain and see the monkeys?" Yang Zhen thought.

After flying for several days, Yang Zhen finally arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain. After inquiring with the monkeys there, he learned that Sun Wukong was still serving as an official in heaven. According to the timeline, Sun Wukong should be guarding the Peach Garden now.

Yang Zhen was truly speechless about the Jade Emperor's decision to have Sun Wukong guard the Peach Garden. Didn't he know that monkeys loved peaches the most? To have Sun Wukong guard the Peach Garden, it was no wonder he would steal the peaches.

After learning that Sun Wukong was serving in heaven, Yang Zhen left Flower Fruit Mountain and flew towards the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Court, the supreme place in the three realms, governed the order of heaven and earth, and was the most revered holy land for all cultivators in the Immortal World.

This was a magical sea of clouds, with mountains, water, people, and beasts, jade pools, palaces, soldiers, and immortals, a place where all things appeared and disappeared. When the sunlight shone directly on the clouds, a magnificent golden palace rose from the mist, emitting a brilliant light in the morning glow.

Under the scorching sun, the golden light shone through the snow mist, refracting into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. After being reflected by the clouds, it formed a beautiful rainbow, hanging high in the sky.

Magpies danced, and cranes sang, their graceful movements complementing each other, circling around the colorful rainbow. The surroundings were filled with ethereal winds and clouds, creating a sense of being in a fairyland.

This place was, indeed, a fairyland.

The Heavenly Court, a place everyone aspired to. Since the beginning of the universe, there had been three emperors here.

The first was the ancient demon emperor, Emperor Jun. Emperor Jun's cultivation was almost on par with the sages, and with the help of his brother, Donghuang Taiyi, he firmly held the position of Heavenly Emperor. Unfortunately, during the ancient war between the demons and the shamans, both Emperor Jun and Donghuang Taiyi perished, leading to the dissolution of the demon court.

The second was the child of the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun, Emperor Haotian. Emperor Haotian's cultivation was also remarkable, but during his reign, it was the time of the most intense conflicts among the sages. No one cared about the Heavenly Court's rule. Thus, Emperor Haotian reported to the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun, leading to the Battle of the Gods. After the battle, Emperor Haotian returned to the side of the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun as a child, giving up the position of Heavenly Emperor.

The third Heavenly Emperor was named Zhang Bairen, who ascended from the Immortal World. After ten thousand calamities, he became the god who governed the heavenly way. After a billion calamities, he finally became the supreme ruler of the universe—the Jade Emperor.

Speaking of the Jade Emperor, although he had endured countless calamities, his cultivation was not high. Moreover, most of the current heavenly deities were enshrined during the Battle of the Gods, leading to the current chaotic situation in the three realms.

These deities had actually died in the Battle of the Gods, and only a divine essence had been reshaped into a physical body through the List of the Gods, allowing them to serve in the Heavenly Court. However, their once formidable cultivation was now greatly diminished.

In essence, these were the losers of the Battle of the Gods. Even if they were once world-renowned supreme warriors, after the battle, they could only accept their fate and silently dedicate their infinite time to the Heavenly Court.

Take Zhao Gongming, for example, who had reached the realm of a Great Luo Immortal. But without his magical treasures and physical body, he was now merely the 'Golden Dragon如意True Lord of the Black Tiger Altar,' or simply the God of Wealth, far from his former glory. The fall of a once supreme warrior to such a state was truly a fate worse than death, evoking sighs. However, as the saying goes, "The victor is the king, the loser is the bandit." Zhao Gongming's inability to see the situation and being outmaneuvered led to his demise. His current fate only showed that he was not as great as he once seemed.

In any world, the new generation always surpasses the old, as the saying goes, "The outstanding figures of the present are the ones to watch."

Gazing at the golden palace, a figure in the sea of clouds gradually faded and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

'Stealth' was a skill Yang Zhen had learned from the store. Although he could use basic invisibility techniques, this skill was clearly more practical. Besides, there was a large demon-detecting mirror at the South Gate of Heaven. Without some means, how could he sneak into the Heavenly Court?

Outside the South Gate, the Heavenly King Zengzhang was leading the gods Pang, Liu, Gou, Bi, Deng, Xin, Zhang, and Tao to guard the entrance to the Heavenly Court. Yang Zhen concealed his body and quietly slipped past them, entering the Heavenly Court. The demon-detecting mirror showed no reaction, and everything went smoothly.

"Ha! Peaches, I'm coming!" After sneaking into the Heavenly Court, Yang Zhen was somewhat excited. This was the Heavenly Court, the most famous place in the current three realms. Being able to walk around here was a matter of great pride.

First, he would go see Sun Wukong. If possible, he would try to give him some advice. Although he couldn't change the outcome, it would be good for him to be prepared.