Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Find a Sparring Partner (First Update!)

“No problem!”

Star Lord Yuan Hong didn’t even think twice before agreeing; it was just a matter of giving up eighty percent of his merit and destiny. He could still retain twenty percent for himself, and moreover, he would regain his freedom. What was there to hesitate about?

“Very well! I indeed was not mistaken about you, Yuan Hong. You are very smart!”

The Jade Emperor nodded in satisfaction. He had thought he might need a thorough discussion to persuade Yuan Hong, yet Yuan Hong had agreed so readily.

It seemed that regaining one’s freedom was an enormous attraction for those restricted by the Investiture of the Gods, even agreeing to signing the contract so readily!

Thereupon, the Jade Emperor and Yuan Hong signed the contract. A seal was placed inside Yuan Hong’s divine soul, which would allow Yuan Hong to retain his memories after experiencing reincarnation. It also released the restrictions that the Investiture of the Gods held over Yuan Hong. In Yuan Hong’s presence, his divinity was removed from the Investiture of the Gods and destroyed.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Feeling the oppressive strength that had always been suppressed finally fade away, Yuan Hong experienced an unprecedented sense of relief and bowed deeply to the Jade Emperor.

Quickly, the Jade Emperor, under the pretense of Yuan Hong not respecting the heavenly laws and not revering the heavenly might, cast him down from Heavenly Court back into the cycle of reincarnation. Yuan Hong’s divine form, which had been condensed by the Investiture of the Gods, was severed at the Immortal Slaying Stage and sent through the passage beneath it into the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The true reason behind Star Lord Yuan Hong’s fall into the Mortal Realm to face reincarnation was not clear to the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court. They presumed that the rapid rise of Flower-Fruit Mountain had made the Jade Emperor unpredictable and irritable, and Star Lord Yuan Hong just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, thus his misfortune!

Subsequently, the events seemed to validate the immortals’ assumptions. Marshal Tianpeng Zhu Tianpeng was stripped of his command over the Heavenly River Navy and cast down to the Mortal Realm for “harassing” Fairy Chang’er. The Great General, who had broken a glazed lamp, was convicted and also sent down to the Mortal Realm.

The Third Prince, Ao Lie of the Western Sea, was brought to the Dragon Execution Platform for destroying the Luminous Pearl but was spared a harsher fate after Ran Deng Buddha pleaded for him, resulting in his relegation to dwell within the Gorge of Eagle Sorrow.

Shortly, the mood in Heavenly Court was anxious, with everyone feeling insecure, fearing they might be the next to suffer. However, fortunately, after punishing the Third Prince Ao Lie, the Jade Emperor seemed to regain his composure and stopped punishing others over trivial matters, alleviating the tense atmosphere among the heavens’ immortals and gods significantly.

In the Mortal Realm, Flower-Fruit Mountain was still expanding its influence steadily. As originally agreed upon by Leng Xuan and Sun Wukong, they decided not to expand their territorial reach to the Western Cattle Gift State before the establishment of the Demon Clan’s Heavenly Court, to avoid a strong backlash from the Western Heavenly Buddhist Sect. Besides the East Victorious Divine Continent, they aimed to expand in the Southern Continent and Northern Continent of Cattle-grazing as much as possible.

Currently, the Southern Continent had been divided between the Buddhist Sect and the Taoist Sect, with not much difference in power between the two. It was not easy for the Flower-Fruit Mountain Demon Cult to gain a foothold there, but they at least needed to plant a flag and gradually increase their influence.

In comparison, development in the Northern Continent of Cattle-grazing was much easier. With the help of Demon Master Kunpeng and others, the Barbarian Race of Northern Continent of Cattle-grazing did not resist the Demon Cult as staunchly as they resisted the Buddhist and Taoist sects. Instead, they readily accepted the Flower-Fruit Mountain Demon Cult, allowing it to freely spread its doctrines and develop followers in the Northern Continent of Cattle-grazing.

It could be said that, aside from the main base in the East Victorious Divine Continent, the North Continent of Cattle-grazing had the most followers, and the growth of the Flower-Fruit Mountain Demon Cult was the most robust there. Even Leng Xuan and others contemplated one day simply using great mana to relocate Flower-Fruit Mountain in its entirety to the North Continent of Cattle-grazing. There, they planned to rebuild the Demon Clan’s Heavenly Court, using the entire North Continent of Cattle-grazing as the foundation—offering safety in retreat and dominance in advance to contend for supremacy over the Three Realms!

Of course, this idea had not yet been implemented because Sun Wukong, the spiritual leader of Flower-Fruit Mountain and hierarch of the Demon Cult, had not yet returned. Such a matter must receive Sun Wukong’s approval before proceeding, and Leng Xuan dared not decide on his own.

At a time when the Three Realms were in turmoil, high upon the World Tree, Sun Wukong finally ceased his cultivation and opened his eyes.

“Still not enough, I just can’t manage to slay the Corpse of Desire!”

Sun Wukong’s eyes held a hint of doubt. The Chaotic Divine Body was said to be the most suitable physique for cultivation, hardly facing any bottlenecks. The nature’s spiritual energy within the World Tree was also extremely abundant, arguably the best place for breakthroughs in cultivation, even more effective than absorbing stellar spiritual qi within the Heaven-Piercing Tower. Yet, after pushing his Quasi-Saint Cultivation of Slaying Two Corpses to the peak, the step to further slay the Third Corpse, the Corpse of Desire, felt as difficult as reaching the heavens.

For some reason, every attempt at slaying the Corpse of Desire left him just a bit short of success!

It seemed continuing to cultivate behind closed doors was not the solution; breaking through in battle was the way to go!

On careful reflection, Sun Wukong did not think there was anything wrong with his cultivation process. If there had to be a problem, it was that he hadn’t integrated his cultivation gains with actual combat.

Reflecting on past scenarios of breakthroughs in cultivation, most occurred either after or during a great battle. Whether it was the Heavenly Demon Body or the Chaotic Divine Body, both seemed innately suited for battle. During combat, comprehension of the Heavenly Dao Laws that had not been understood before would naturally occur, and aspects that could not be integrated before would naturally come together.

“It looks like, Old Sun needs to find a suitable opponent and have a proper fight!”

Sun Wukong took a deep breath. He had been cultivating in meditation on the platform of the World Tree for a full fifty years. It was time to stretch his limbs!

But who would make a good sparring partner?

The most appropriate candidates were naturally Tathagata Buddha or Ran Deng Buddha. Both were currently stronger than Sun Wukong, and fighting them would involve no holding back. A life-and-death battle was most effective in stimulating potential, especially for Sun Wukong!

However, as he was currently inside the World Tree in the Borderlands, returning to the Three Realms and the Western Heaven Spiritual Mountain to confront Tathagata Buddha or Ran Deng Buddha seemed unrealistic. He suspected that neither would adhere to any gentleman’s agreement allowing him a one-on-one duel; it was very likely both would join forces against him alone, a scenario that had already unfolded during the great battle in Heavenly Court. This suspicion wasn’t out of malice towards the two.

It would be better to find an opponent nearby!

The tree insect previously encountered, massive at tens of thousands of feet tall, was not weak. Sun Wukong guessed that there was likely more than one tree insect within the World Tree. Perhaps even more formidable creatures resided there; seeking them out as sparring partners might not yield results inferior to a deadly fight with Tathagata Buddha or Ran Deng Buddha!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com