Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 431 How did this guy become the Heavenly Emperor?
On this day, Li Jing received an unexpected guest in the military camp.

"You are……"

Standing before the military tent, Li Jing was momentarily stunned by the sight of the imposing middle-aged man in golden robes.

The middle-aged man laughed and said, "Brother, don't you recognize your elder brother?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Li Jing immediately recognized him and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Oh dear, it's Brother Ao! What happened to you? Please come in."

He immediately invited Ao Guang into the military tent and ordered his men to serve him wine and food.

"As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. We're just afraid of scaring ordinary people!"

Ao Guang sat down and said with a smile, "I went to your residence to look for you first. My sister-in-law said you were in the military camp, so I left some local specialties at home and brought them over. Fortunately, my sister-in-law liked them very much."

Li Jing waved his hand and laughed, "Brother, you're too kind. You came all this way, why did you bring anything? What brings you here, brother?"

Ao Guang said guiltily, "There is indeed something. Today, my nephew went to play at the beach and accidentally got into a fight with that little brat Bing'er."

Oh no, this is an interrogation... Li Jing's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he asked guiltily, "Ah? Is my injury serious, nephew?"

Although he was too busy to spend much time with his son, he had heard from his wife that the boy's behavior was becoming increasingly outrageous as he got older.

Putting aside everything else, just consider this: there's a ten-thousand-pound stone in his mansion that his junior brother, Xiaobai, used for cultivation.

But in that boy's hands, a stone weighing ten thousand pounds was as light as a feather; he could toss it dozens of feet high and catch it steadily upon its return.

This action terrified his wife, who didn't dare to breathe, fearing that the little rascal might accidentally smash her into a pulp.

Of course, this was true not only for his wife, but also for him. He was stunned for a long time before recovering from the shock after hearing the news.

It should be noted that even he himself could not do such a thing with his physical strength alone; he would need Bifang to do it, and how old is this kid?
Seven years old!
But is this his mother's seven-year-old age?
This is absolutely outrageous and defies the heavens; he had never heard of or seen anything like it before.

He had no doubt that if he and his son were to fight, without Bi Fang's help, he would be beaten so badly by his son that he would be completely helpless.

This is why he immediately showed concern for Ao Bing after hearing that Ao Bing and Nezha had started fighting.

Ao Guang quickly waved his hand and said, "It's not serious, they're all fine. Hmm... why is my sworn brother asking about Bing'er's injuries instead of caring about Nezha?"

Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Ao Bing was alright, and said, "Brother, you don't know, but Nezha was once given the Qiankun Ring and Hun Tian Ling, treasures of the cave by the Immortal Taiyi, which can protect him from harm."

“I see. But my sworn brother, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say,” Ao Guang said after a moment’s thought.

Li Jing said, "Brother, please speak freely."

Ao Guang said earnestly, "Even though Nezha has a treasure protecting him, a child is still a child. A father's care and concern are indispensable, otherwise even a child will have worries."

Li Jing nodded slightly and said, "Brother is right, I understand that principle, but to be honest, although I am already the father of three children, I really don't have much experience in being a father."

He said, "After my eldest and second sons became sensible, they were first taught by my master for a while, and then Manjushri and Samantabhadra came to take them as disciples. I haven't seen them for many years since then."

Ao Guang asked in surprise, "Then why don't you learn from your father?"

"My father..."

Li Jing looked nostalgic: "I was born in a small mountain village with seven siblings. My father hunted and my mother farmed. They worked from dawn till dusk to support us, so we were basically left to fend for ourselves."

They had already done their best to feed nine mouths in their family. Besides, how could ordinary country folk, who had never been to school or read, teach us the principles of sages?

Their only concern for us was survival, but even that often left us hungry. So my older brother would frequently go up the mountain to catch birds and down into the river to catch fish so we could fill our stomachs.

“The eldest brother is like a father,” Ao Guang sighed softly.

He knew that Li Jing was telling the truth.

This is indeed the most ordinary life of ordinary people at the bottom of society.

Although the human race has prospered, the most precious educational resources and literacy are still firmly in the hands of the aristocratic class.

Li Jing's face showed a hint of sadness: "Later, my eldest brother went to the river to catch fish on an empty stomach and drowned. Several others also died due to drought and illness."

“This…” Ao Guang fell silent after hearing this.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are indeed inescapable trials for mortals, including nobles.

It is precisely because of the low survival rate of newborns that humans are very prolific, with a reproductive capacity far exceeding that of the dragon race.

He looked at the sorrowful Li Jing, wanting to offer some comfort, and after a moment's hesitation and careful wording, he smiled and said, "But now, my sworn brother, you've finally made it through, and now you can let your family live a comfortable life... oh!"

He suddenly exclaimed softly, "By the way, why are there only my younger brother and sister-in-law here? I haven't seen your father and mother."

"Family? Ha, I haven't had any family for a long time."

Li Jing's eyes suddenly turned red, and he slammed his fist on the table in front of him, shaking his head and sneering twice.

Hearing this laughter, Ao Guang felt a chill run down his spine and quickly said, "Oh, my sworn brother, please accept my condolences. The deceased are gone, you must live well so that they can rest in peace."

Besides, you now have a family, a wife and children; you should consider their needs more often.

"Wife and children..."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing was taken aback, the crimson in his eyes faded, and finally turned into a long sigh.

Over the years, he gradually realized that his family had become his concern.

Concern is also a hindrance and a constraint.

When he came down the mountain, he was filled with hatred. He felt that nothing could stop him from seeking justice for his family and friends.

I'll kill anyone who gets in my way, and I'll slay even gods if they stand in my way!
Therefore, to prevent him from doing something impulsive, his master made a pact with him.

He cannot act recklessly unless he discovers that the tragedy that happened in his hometown has been repeated.

At that time, he thought, with such a vast territory, how could such a thing be just an isolated case?

If he's determined to investigate, he'll definitely find something.

But after getting married, he had a wife and then his first child, then his second, then his third... all of these became burdens on him.

He cherished the warmth of family; he wanted to watch his children grow up and grow old with his loved one.

So he never investigated that kind of 'tragedy', and he hadn't even thought about revenge for many years.

Seeing that Li Jing was in a bad mood, Ao Guang quickly changed the subject and brought it back to parenting.

"You can't treat children like kids and make all the decisions for them. Sometimes you have to have a heart-to-heart talk with them," Ao Guang shared his experience.

Li Jing hesitated for a moment and sighed, "Actually, it's not that I haven't thought about having a heart-to-heart talk with Nezha, but for some reason, whenever I look at him, at his eyes... I just can't bring myself to speak."

Ao Guang asked in surprise, "Oh? Why is that?"

Li Jing hesitated for a moment and then said, "I will try my best."

Ao Guang realized that Li Jing didn't want to talk about it, so he wisely didn't ask any more questions, but there were just too many topics to discuss about raising children.

So the two fathers started exchanging and sharing their experiences.

Although the two brothers had been sworn brothers for several years, they did not meet very often, let alone have such a congenial chat as they did today.

As they chatted, Ao Guang revealed the reason why he had Ao Bing become Yu Ding's apprentice.

"So there's such a hidden story behind the East Sea Dragon Clan's guarding of the East Sea?"

Li Jing said indignantly, "The great calamity was caused by three clans, but in the end, only one clan was punished. What kind of bullshit logic is this?"

Ao Guang chuckled self-deprecatingly: "We admit our guilt and accept our punishment, but the most despairing thing is not knowing when it will end and not being able to see the end."

I instructed Bing'er to become a disciple of the Jade Cauldron Immortal, and also asked the Immortal to inquire with the Sage of the Chan Sect when we would be freed from our sins. If it takes a long time, at least Bing'er will be granted his freedom.

"Who's going to take care of this now?" Li Jing asked.

Ao Guang pondered and said, "In the past, the punishments were determined by the Demon Court and several great gods. Now... it should be under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court."

"The Heavenly Court? If I remember correctly, my brother also holds a divine position in the Heavenly Court."

Li Jing said, "Why don't you ask the Heavenly Court, brother?"

Ao Guang chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Of course I asked. It's just that according to the rules, we have to go through the process first, which means writing a memorial and submitting it to the Thirty-Three Heavens, reporting it up layer by layer and waiting for the Heavenly Emperor's approval."

But a day in heaven is a year on earth, and once the memorial was sent, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, never to be heard from again. It's possible the Heavenly Emperor saw it but didn't approve it, or perhaps it got stuck at that level.

Li Jing also said, "As the saying goes, it's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings. Why don't you go yourself, brother?"

Ao Guang smiled bitterly: "How could I not go? It's just that I can't leave the East Sea easily. Even if I squeezed out the time to go, the Heavenly Emperor has so many affairs to manage in all the heavens and myriad realms."
Every morning before it's my turn at the court, the Heavenly Emperor's morning court session is over. He then goes to rest and has to go again the next day. When I finally get a turn, the Heavenly Emperor claims to know nothing about it and says he'll check and get back to me, but that reply never comes.

Li Jing was shocked: "What? No, how can the Heavenly Emperor be like this? He's resting? What kind of rest does a god need? Would handling some matters kill him?"

Ao Guang was so frightened that he quickly said, "Shh! Brother! Be careful what you say, or you'll get yourself into trouble." Li Jing sneered, "I was wondering why his soldiers were so unruly and disregarded their lives, not behaving like the Heavenly Army. It turns out that the upper beam is crooked, so the lower beam is crooked too."

I've never seen such an irresponsible person! And he's the Heavenly Emperor?! Unbelievable! How did this guy even become the Heavenly Emperor?!

Ao Guang was terrified and quickly said, "Brother Haotian, the Heavenly Emperor was appointed by the Dao Ancestor himself. The Heavenly Emperor is indeed very busy and stressed."

Li Jing paused for a moment, and just as Ao Guang thought Li Jing was frightened,

Li Jing suddenly said, "What is the relationship between this Heavenly Emperor and the Dao Ancestor? Otherwise, how could he be worthy of becoming the Heavenly Emperor with such poor governance? Could it be that he used some connections or back channels?"

Ao Guang: \( T﹏T )／

A short while later, Ao Guang hurriedly came out of Li Jing's military tent, saying only that he wanted to say goodbye and stay.

Then, ignoring Li Jing's attempts to persuade him to stay, he hurriedly left.

Damn!

This sworn brother spoke so frankly, it was all from the bottom of his heart.

But it's really scary.

"The Heavenly Emperor? The Heavenly Court!"

Li Jing looked up at the azure sky, snorted softly, and turned back to the military camp.

……

East China Sea.

"Wow, Brother Ao Bing, is this what the seabed looks like? It's so beautiful!"

Amid gasps of amazement, a giant manta ray swiftly swam through the water, passing magnificent coral reefs and schools of fish.

Behind it was a transparent water-repelling barrier, and inside the barrier stood two teenagers.

Nezha placed his small hands on the barrier and looked around in amazement at the scenery.

Although Ao Bing, who was standing beside him, had lived for a thousand years, he was still young at heart. Although he had many brothers and sisters in the East Sea, he had few friends.

With the combined connections of their fathers and mentors, their relationship quickly grew closer, and they soon became inseparable friends.

Ao Bing immediately invited Nezha to come into the water to play, and caught the manta ray as a tourist fish and took Nezha into the sea.

Seeing Nezha's performance, he showed pride, but humbly waved his hand and said, "What's this? We're still wandering around in the shallow water."

If you'd like, I can take you to the deep sea later, but it's not as interesting there. Oh, and I can take you to our East Sea Dragon Palace.

"I wonder who this brat is, that he can be on friendly terms with the Third Prince..." the manta ray, who had been conscripted, thought with some curiosity.

Nezha turned around in surprise and asked, "Really? Is it okay?"

Ao Bing laughed and said, "Master Taiyi has already gone to visit, so what problems could there be? You can go back with Master Taiyi, and I'll introduce you to my master and Master Huanglong."

"Mmm!" Nezha nodded excitedly.

Ao Bing stepped on the manta ray beneath his feet, and instantly, the manta ray parted the water and sailed into the deep sea amidst Nezha's cheers.

Before long, the two arrived in front of the Crystal Palace.

"Wow!" Nezha was very satisfied with this place. He never expected that there would be such a magnificent complex of buildings in the dark depths of the sea.

Ao Bing was also very satisfied with his performance and took Nezha into the Crystal Palace.

"Come on, I'll take you to find Master and my senior brothers, and see what they're doing!"

……

That evening, Li Jing went home early, wanting to talk to his son and open up to him.

Ao Guang's words gave him great inspiration.

To his dismay, his son did not return after a long wait, so he played games with his wife for a while before going to sleep.

The night is deep.

Li Jing lay on the bed, fast asleep. Although he had cultivated himself into a martial arts immortal, he still needed to replenish his energy after working day and night.

While he was fast asleep, his dantian in his chest glowed, and the talisman that was originally sealed there was opening.

Inside his body, the cage door slowly opened, and a beam of moonlight shone in.

Bifang, who had been resting with his eyes closed on a fiery tree in the cage, suddenly opened his crimson eyes and saw the runes binding him begin to dissipate.

"Hmm? The seal has been broken?"

Bifang stared in astonishment at the fading runes on his skin: "I'm free?"

An expression of disbelief crossed his face.

He had been bound to this kid's body for who knows how many years, enduring his gaze and temper, and now the shackles binding him had been broken?
To go... or not to go?
Without any hesitation, he transformed into a streak of crimson light and desperately rushed towards the spot where the moonlight was shining in.

He didn't consider why the seal suddenly opened or why the shackles and runes on his body disappeared.

He's been trapped for far too long!
He had been suppressing his feelings for far too long!

All he wants now is to get some fresh air and regain his freedom.

Chi!
A burst of fire shot out from Li Jing's chest, passed through the door, flapped its wings, and flew into the sky. With a flash of fire, it revealed its true form and let out a cry of freedom.

"not good!"

Upon hearing the sound, Li Jing, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes. Sensing something, his expression changed drastically.

"Husband, what's wrong?" Lady Yin asked, startled awake.

Li Jing's expression was grim: "Bi Fang has escaped! Damn it, how could I have been sleeping so soundly? I'll go after this guy."

He immediately grabbed his clothes, rushed through the roof, and looked up to see a streak of fire almost reaching the outside of Chentang Pass.

He immediately whistled, and a crow flapped its wings in the night. Li Jing jumped up and began to chase after it.

"What happened? How could the seal have suddenly been broken?"

Li Jing's eyes were filled with deep confusion. Besides, his master had left behind two methods to restrict Bifang.

The Crow Demon King flapped its wings and flew swiftly, quickly catching up with Bi Fang a thousand miles outside Chen Tang Pass... or rather, Bi Fang was waiting for them.

Li Jing shouted, "Are you leaving already?"

"Boy, don't blame me. No divine bird can resist the temptation of freedom."

Bi Fang said proudly, "Some birds are destined to be caged. Their feathers are too bright. It would be a sin to cage them when they take flight. For example... myself."

Li Jing angrily said, "Are all our previous experiences and our friendship fake? Did you lie to me to get me to help you break the seals on other parts of your body?"

Bi Fang stared at him and said, "You helped me, but I have also saved you countless times. If we really think about it, I don't owe you anything."

Li Jing said, "Then have you forgotten the 'live and die together' contract you made?"

Bi Fang laughed: "All I want is freedom. Of course, if you ever encounter mortal danger in the future, I will come to help you one last time. Well then, goodbye!"

After saying this, it flapped its wings and in an instant soared a thousand miles away.

The reason it waited here was to formally bid farewell to Li Jing.

"You bastard, stop right there!"

Li Jing roared, "If this demon god leaves him, his behavior will become uncontrollable, and it could very well be a disaster for the world."

Without Bi Fang, he was just an ordinary martial arts immortal, now only filled with impotent rage and unable to do anything.

"Hahaha……"

A triumphant laugh came from afar.

Just then, a sudden and unexpected change occurred ahead.

But then, a brilliant golden light appeared behind the clouds in the night sky, illuminating the night sky like a golden world.

Amidst the dazzling divine light, a magnificent pagoda, radiating boundless golden light, crashed down, easily suppressing the demon god Bifang, who claimed that "nothing can be contained in a cage."

(End of this chapter)