Chapter 80

In the Heavenly Palace, at the Lingxiao Hall.

After hearing Yang Zhen's introduction, all the immortals felt a headache. The incident with Sun Wukong had just passed, and now another sworn brother had appeared, whose powers seemed to surpass even Sun Wukong. Truly, this was a year of misfortune.

Moreover, since the Dragon King of the North Sea had announced that he would flatten the North Sea Dragon Palace during his next visit, he would surely invite some friends to help. If the other sworn brothers of the Dragon King of the North Sea also came to assist, the situation would become truly difficult. With the current strength of the Heavenly Palace, at least half of the heavenly army would need to be mobilized to subdue the group of demons.

Since the Dragon King of the North Sea is known as the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea, his skills in water combat must be extremely formidable. In fact, a 'jiao' (water dragon) is a lower-level creature compared to a 'dragon.' This makes it seem that this Dragon King of the North Sea is not very impressive.

However, let's consider how Sun Wukong treated the Dragon King of the East Sea. The Dragon King, appointed by the Heavenly Palace as the Great Dragon God of Rain, who commands all the dragons in the world, was seen by Sun Wukong as no better than an eel. So, the jiao dragon that Sun Wukong calls his second brother must be an extraordinary expert.

This jiao dragon's strength is likely on par with the Bull Demon King, and in water combat, he might even be superior.

"Your Majesty, since the jiao dragon is a water demon, let this immortal lead the Heavenly River Army to the North Sea to assist the Dragon King of the North Sea in subduing this evil jiao," said the Great Sage Tian Gang.

"If we can subdue this demon this time, the position of Marshal Tianpeng will surely be mine," the Great Sage Tian Gang thought to himself. "Hmph! A jiao is a lower rank than a dragon. The Four Sea Dragon Kings are not very powerful, so what kind of magic can this small jiao dragon have? He probably just used some secret techniques to make the Four Sea Dragon Kings suffer. This time, I will achieve great merit and show all the immortals my strength. You, Yang Zhen, said the jiao dragon is powerful, but I will subdue him for you to see."

After a moment of deep thought, Yang Zhen stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although the Dragon King of the North Sea has some skills, subduing him is not difficult. What we are worried about is that he might call his other sworn brothers to help. These great demons are all of the Golden Immortal level, and due to their constant battles, their combat strength is extremely formidable. It's not something that can be solved by numbers alone."

"Yang Zhen, are you afraid? A mere jiao dragon, what skills can he have? If you're afraid, don't participate in this battle. A small evil jiao dragon is enough for me to handle alone," the Great Sage Tian Gang seized the opportunity to mock Yang Zhen.

"Have you heard the story of the frog at the bottom of the well?" Yang Zhen said disdainfully.

"What do you mean?" the Great Sage Tian Gang asked angrily.

Yang Zhen, hearing this, sneered and ignored the Great Sage Tian Gang, closing his eyes in a relaxed manner. This infuriated the Great Sage Tian Gang, who shouted and harbored even more hatred towards Yang Zhen.

Unable to contain his anger and not knowing the true abilities of the Dragon King of the North Sea, the Great Sage Tian Gang stepped forward and requested, "Your Majesty, please issue the order. This immortal is willing to lead the ten thousand Heavenly River soldiers to the mortal world to assist the Dragon King of the North Sea in resisting the enemy. If I cannot defeat this evil jiao, I will accept any punishment from Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor looked at Yang Zhen. Seeing Yang Zhen's expression, he agreed to the Great Sage Tian Gang's request. He promised that if the Great Sage Tian Gang successfully subdued the demon, he would be appointed as Marshal Tianpeng, the first among the Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper, and would command the ten thousand Heavenly River soldiers.

After issuing the order, the Jade Emperor turned to the Great Emperor Zizhui and asked, "Great Emperor Zizhui, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

"Yang Zhen's previous words are correct. If it were only the Dragon King of the North Sea, it wouldn't be a problem, but if other demon kings come to assist, the Great Sage Tian Gang alone will find it difficult to handle," the Great Emperor Zizhui said calmly. "Please, Your Majesty, issue the order for Li Jing, the Heavenly King, to lead another ten thousand heavenly soldiers, along with the Third Prince Nezha and the Four Heavenly Kings, to assist. Also, send an order to the Second Sage Yang Jian at the Guanjiang Pass, asking him to lead the Mei Mountain brothers and his grasshead gods to assist. This will ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Indeed, the Great Emperor Zizhui's suggestion involved two Golden Immortal experts, especially the Second Sage Yang Jian, who is among the best of the Golden Immortals. His cultivation in the Nine Transformations Technique allows him to achieve immortality through his physical body, a divine skill of the Daoist sect with immeasurable power. Nezha, on the other hand, is a lotus incarnation with numerous magical treasures and extremely formidable combat strength.

With these two descending to the mortal world, no matter how powerful the Dragon King of the North Sea is, he will ultimately meet his end in the North Sea.

It should be noted that during Sun Wukong's great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, he possessed the supreme power of the Nine Transformations Golden Elixir. Even so, Sun Wukong was still overpowered by the Second Sage Yang Jian, demonstrating the latter's combat strength, which is far beyond that of the demon kings. The Dragon King of the North Sea has not had such a fortunate encounter as Sun Wukong, and if he faces the Second Sage Yang Jian, he will be lucky to escape with his life.

In this lineup, the Great Sage Tian Gang is merely a minor player.

If the Dragon King of the North Sea goes to the North Sea alone a year later, the Great Sage Tian Gang will truly claim the credit. With such formidable teammates, he could win even by idling.

"Killing a chicken with a butcher's knife, it's just an evil jiao. Why should the Heavenly Palace mobilize such a force? I believe that the Heavenly River Army and the North Sea Army working together can handle this villain," suggested the Star of the White Tiger.

"Ha ha! The Star of the White Tiger, don't forget about Sun Wukong. A mere small demon monkey could cause chaos in the Heavenly Palace. How much more so for the Dragon King of the North Sea, whose powers surpass Sun Wukong's," the Great Emperor Zizhui smiled faintly. "If the Heavenly Palace can subdue this demon in one go, it will reduce losses and prevent the Heavenly Army from being bogged down in a protracted battle. It will also restore the Heavenly Palace's prestige and deter the demon kings in the mortal world from acting recklessly."

Although the Jade Emperor was reluctant, he could not think of any excuse. After some thought, he agreed with the Great Emperor Zizhui's suggestion. He ordered Li Jing to lead ten thousand heavenly soldiers, along with the Third Prince Nezha and the Four Heavenly Kings, to assist. At the same time, a mobilization order was sent by a celestial official to the Guanjiang Pass.

Yang Zhen did not expect the Great Emperor Zizhui to have this move. The Great Sage Tian Gang, the fool, was eager to go and die, but the Great Emperor Zizhui's suggestion saved the situation.

However, there are still two variables to look forward to. One is that the Second Sage Yang Jian suddenly has a bad mood and ignores the Jade Emperor's mobilization order; the other is that the Dragon King of the North Sea brings the other five demon kings, and with the combined strength of the six demon kings, they might have a chance to defeat the Heavenly Army.

Of course, if someone were to devise a plan, that would also be possible.

After the meeting, the Star of the White Tiger gave Yang Zhen a look, signaling him to stay. It seems that the Jade Emperor has recognized Yang Zhen's strength and strategy and plans to discuss the handling of this matter with him.