I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

"A malevolent creature?"

Jiang Wang frowned slightly, his tone tinged with fear, but his mind was racing.

Thundercloud Valley? He searched through Tu Xiaonai's memories and only remembered that it was a forbidden area in the eastern part of the Auspicious Realm, where thunderclouds lingered all year round, but there had never been such an unusual phenomenon before.

The black mist and the disappearance of living beings did not seem like a phenomenon that could occur in the Auspicious Realm itself. Instead, it seemed like evil spirits from beyond the realm, or forces from the Primordial World or the Celestial Realm had infiltrated.

"Yeah, that sounds really scary."

Lingxi patted her chest, her face showing fear. "The elders also said that the black mist might carry a bone-corroding evil aura, which could even pollute auspicious energy."

We absolutely mustn't go and join the fun.

Jiang Wang nodded and said obediently, "I understand, Sister Lingxi. I will definitely not go east in the future."

However, he had other plans in mind. The anomaly in Thundercloud Valley was by no means accidental and might be related to his plan. If he could find out the truth, he might be able to find a breakthrough and take the opportunity to contact forces outside the Auspicious Realm, laying the groundwork for leaving the Auspicious Realm and infiltrating the Journey to the West forces.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and Lingxi reminded him to be careful before turning and leaving.

As Jiang Wang watched Lingxi's departing figure, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deep and thoughtful expression.

He turned back to the bamboo house, set up the restrictions again, sat cross-legged, made hand seals with his fingertips, and a wisp of divine thought quietly extended towards Thundercloud Valley in the east.

My divine sense traveled through the mountains and forests, where a rich auspicious energy nourished the lush vegetation and made all living things frolic.

But the closer one got to Thundercloud Valley, the thinner the auspicious aura became, replaced by a sense of oppression. The clouds in the sky gradually darkened, and the faint sound of thunder could be heard.

When the divine sense reached the edge of Thundercloud Valley, a bone-chilling baleful aura rushed towards them. The baleful aura was as black as ink, carrying an aura of destruction, and was completely incompatible with the purity of the auspicious realm.

Jiang Wang's divine sense paused slightly, and he was secretly alarmed: "This baleful aura... is somewhat similar to the Asura baleful aura in the primordial world, but it is even more insidious than the Asura baleful aura. Could it be that the Asura race from beyond the realm has infiltrated?"

He carefully activated his divine sense and explored along the edge of Thundercloud Valley. He saw thunderclouds rolling inside the valley, and black mist spreading. Within the mist, he could vaguely see several blurry figures moving about. Their auras were strange; they were neither spirits from the Auspicious Realm, nor cultivators from the Primordial World, nor gods from the Heavenly Realm.

"Hurry up! Make sure to open this node before the Great Dao's will notice. As long as the passage is stable, the Lord can descend smoothly!" A hoarse voice came from the mist, carrying a hint of urgency and filled with awe.

"Don't worry, Chief. Although the Great Dao Will of this Auspicious Realm is strong, it is too slow. We are so well hidden that we will not be discovered."

Another shrill voice rang out, accompanied by a strange laugh, "When the master arrives, all the pure spiritual energy in this auspicious realm will be ours. At that time, we will be able to break through our realms and no longer have to suffer in the extraterrestrial star river."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to work!"

The hoarse voice snapped, "Don't forget, the master gave a death order: if we're late, we'll all die!"

Jiang Wang's divine sense quietly lurked in the shadows, and he heard the conversation of the group clearly.

A passage? My lord? It seems these beings are indeed from beyond the realm, their purpose being to open a passage to the Auspicious Realm and welcome their leader.

He sneered inwardly. If these evil spirits from beyond the realm were allowed to take root in the Auspicious Realm, not only would this world be polluted, but it would also likely affect the Primordial World and the Journey to the West Realm, making the situation even more complicated.

However, this may not necessarily be a bad thing for him.

If we can make something of this incident, we can not only make legitimate contact with the core forces of the Auspicious Realm, but also take the opportunity to demonstrate the value of "Little Milk Tu", and at the same time find out the details of the forces outside the region. It can be said to be a win-win situation.

Just as he was about to investigate further, a violent fluctuation suddenly came from the valley, the black mist surged, and a sharp baleful aura swept towards his divine sense.

Jiang Wang felt a chill run down his spine and immediately withdrew his divine sense, a faint trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Such strong perception."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

It seems that the leader of that extraterrestrial evil spirit is no ordinary person; even before he has descended, he can sense the probing of his divine sense.

If we act rashly, we might expose ourselves and disrupt the replacement plan.

"Let's hold back for now and see what they do next."

Having made his decision, Jiang Wang closed his eyes again, outwardly continuing his secluded cultivation, but in reality secretly circulated his divine sense to closely monitor the movements of Thundercloud Valley, while simultaneously devising countermeasures.

Meanwhile, in the Chaoyin Cave on Luojia Mountain in the desolate South China Sea.

Guanyin sat cross-legged on a lotus platform, surrounded by Buddhist light, yet the weariness and anxiety between her brows were hard to conceal.

For more than a decade, she has lived a secluded life, never daring to step out of the cave. She could only rely on the remaining Buddhist light inside the cave to nourish herself each day. Her cultivation not only did not improve, but it actually regressed somewhat.

"Sigh." A soft sigh came from Guanyin's mouth. She slowly opened her eyes, her eyes filled with helplessness.

Back then, she was one of the four great Bodhisattvas of Western Buddhism, holding a vase and willow branch, saving all sentient beings—how glorious she was!

But now, with the celestial realm destroyed and the Buddhist sects sealed off, she is alone in the prehistoric world, and even protecting herself has become a problem.

"Master, your disciple is incompetent and has failed to protect the foundation of Buddhism."

Guanyin clasped her hands together and bowed deeply in the direction of Mount Ling.

When the human race launched their westward expedition, the Buddhist sect tried its best to stop them, but ultimately it was no match for the overwhelming power of Jiang Wang and his disciples. Mount Ling was destroyed, all the Buddhas perished, and only a few disciples retreated to the depths of Mount Ling, sealing themselves off and barely surviving.

She was saving sentient beings in the South China Sea at the time and was fortunate enough to escape the calamity, but she became a homeless and lonely ghost.

"Knock knock knock." A soft knocking sound broke the silence of Chaoyin Cave.

Guanyin's heart tightened, and her body radiated an intense burst of Buddhist light as she asked warily, "Who is it?"

Now that the primordial world belongs to the human race, she is wary of everyone, fearing that a human expert might come seeking revenge.

“Do not be afraid, Bodhisattva. It is your disciple.” A gentle male voice came, his tone respectful. “Disciple Muzha has come to pay respects to the Bodhisattva on the orders of General Li Jing.”

Guanyin was puzzled. Muzha? Li Jing's second son? When the Heavenly Realm was destroyed, Li Jing and his son escaped by chance and went into seclusion somewhere in the primordial world, never interacting with the outside world. Why would he send Muzha to find her today? She pondered for a moment, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Muzha was not a human expert, and he had a long-standing connection with Buddhism, so he probably wouldn't be a threat to her.

"Come in."

Guanyin waved her hand, removing the restriction on the cave entrance.

The cave entrance slowly opened, and a figure clad in armor walked in. His face was resolute, and he was surrounded by a faint aura of a celestial soldier. It was none other than Muzha.

Holding a brocade box in his hands, he quickly walked to Guanyin, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, "Disciple Muzha greets the Bodhisattva."

"Get up."

Guanyin's voice remained calm, "What important matter did your father send you here on?"

Muzha stood up, handed over the brocade box in his hand, and said, "Reporting to the Bodhisattva, my father heard that you are living in seclusion here and was concerned about you. He specially ordered his disciple to send some healing pills as a token of his concern. In addition, my father has another matter he would like to ask the Bodhisattva."

Guanyin took the brocade box, opened it, and saw that it contained three crystal-clear pills, radiating a rich spiritual energy. They were the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pills, a sacred healing medicine.

A thought flickered in her mind; Li Jing's actions clearly indicated that he wanted something from her.

She closed the brocade box, placed it aside, and said calmly, "Speak your mind."

Muzha bowed and said, "It concerns the Journey to the West."

My father heard that the Buddhist sect made a pact with the Heavenly Court to travel to the West, with the intention of spreading Buddhism and saving all sentient beings in the East.

Now that the Heavenly Court has fallen and Buddhism has suffered a setback, I wonder if the Bodhisattva still intends to continue the Journey to the West?

Upon hearing this, a complex expression flashed in Guanyin's eyes.

The Journey to the West Pact was a grand plan jointly devised by Buddhism and the Heavenly Court. Its aim was to expand Buddhism's influence in the East and strengthen its power by taking advantage of Tang Sanzang's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

But now, the Heavenly Court has been destroyed, and Buddhism is struggling to survive. This promise to travel to the West is now nothing but a mirage.

"The promise to travel to the West has long been void due to changes in the situation."

Guanyin sighed softly, "The Buddhist sect is currently closed off and preoccupied with its own problems. How can it possibly have the energy to promote the Journey to the West? Besides, the Eastern Land is now dominated by the human race, and the human race and the Buddhist sect have a long-standing feud. Even if the Journey to the West is restarted, it will certainly not go smoothly."

Muzha shook his head and said, "Bodhisattva, you are mistaken."

My father believed that it was precisely because of the current turbulent situation that the Journey to the West was even more necessary.

In this desolate land, malevolent energy permeates the air, evil spirits wreak havoc, and the people are displaced and homeless.

If we could restart the Journey to the West, obtain the true scriptures, and save all living beings, we could not only resolve the crisis of the prehistoric world but also rebuild the reputation of Buddhism and perhaps even ease relations with the human race.

Upon hearing this, Guanyin's heart stirred.

Muzha's words were not without reason, but restarting the Journey to the West would be extremely difficult.

Tang Sanzang was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, and his whereabouts are now unknown; Sun Wukong was suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha, and now that the Buddha has passed away, the Five Elements Mountain is unguarded, so it is still unknown whether Sun Wukong is still under the mountain; Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing have long since disappeared.

Moreover, it remains to be seen whether the human race will agree to the Journey to the West.

"This matter is of great importance; please allow me to think it over carefully."

Guanyin slowly said, "Go back and tell your father that I cannot answer this matter immediately. I will give you an answer after I have thought it through."

Muzha nodded and said, "Alright, disciple obeys."

My father also said, "If the Bodhisattva needs any help, please just give the order, and the Li family will certainly do our utmost to assist."

Guanyin was filled with worries, but she did not urge him. She bowed and left Chaoyin Cave.

Watching Muzha's departing figure, Guanyin fell into deep thought.

If the Journey to the West is restarted and succeeds, Buddhism may be able to make a comeback; but if it fails, Buddhism may be completely destroyed.

She pondered for a long time, but still couldn't make up her mind. She could only get up and walk to the window, looking out at the vast South China Sea, her heart filled with confusion.

Meanwhile, inside the bamboo house in the Auspicious Realm, Jiang Wang had already figured out the general movements of the evil spirits from the outer region of Thundercloud Valley.

Those evil spirits are working hard to open up the passage, and it is expected that they will be able to stabilize the passage within half a month and welcome the arrival of their leader.

Meanwhile, the local forces in the Auspicious Realm seem unaware of the severity of the crisis, merely sending people to keep a close watch on Thundercloud Valley without taking any initiative to attack.

"Half a month is enough."

A glint of light flashed in Jiang Wang's eyes; he already had a plan in mind.

He intends to use the identity of "Little Milk Tu" to inform the core forces of the Auspicious Realm of the truth about Thundercloud Valley, and then volunteer to participate in the suppression of evil spirits from beyond the realm.

In this way, they can gain the trust of the auspicious forces, take the opportunity to demonstrate their strength, and at the same time, learn more about the background of the extraterrestrial forces while suppressing evil spirits, thus paving the way for subsequent plans.

He got up, pushed open the bamboo door, and deliberately pretended to be flustered as he ran towards Ruixia Palace, the central location of the Auspicious Realm.

Ruixia Palace is the place where the will of the Great Dao of the Auspicious Realm is concentrated. It is home to the guardians of the Auspicious Realm and is the most authoritative force in the entire Auspicious Realm.

Along the way, he encountered many auspicious beings who, seeing his flustered expression, came forward to inquire about his condition.

Following his prepared statement, Jiang Wang said urgently, "Something terrible has happened! Thundercloud Valley in the east is in big trouble. There are many evil spirits from beyond the realm inside. They are opening a passage and trying to invade our Auspicious Realm!" Upon hearing this, the creatures all looked incredulous.

"Little lady, are you sure you're not mistaken? Thundercloud Valley is just a forbidden area, how could there be extraterrestrial evil spirits there?" A white-haired old man asked with a frown. He was an elder of the Auspicious Realm, with profound cultivation, and knew everything about the affairs within the realm.

"I didn't see wrong!"

Jiang Wang spoke firmly, but his face showed fear. "When I was in seclusion before, my divine sense inadvertently probed Thundercloud Valley. I saw many dark figures and black mist inside. They said they wanted to open a passage to welcome their leader and also to pollute our auspicious energy!"

He deliberately exaggerated the threat posed by extraterrestrial evil spirits to draw everyone's attention.

Upon hearing this, the white-haired old man's expression gradually became serious.

Tu Xiaonai is simple-minded and never lies. Moreover, she is favored by the Great Dao, and her divine sense is more acute than that of ordinary beings, so her words are highly credible.

"This is no small matter. I will immediately lead men to investigate!"

The white-haired elder made a decisive decision and instructed the cultivators beside him, "Quickly gather the experts of the clan and come with me to Thundercloud Valley. If there are indeed evil spirits from beyond the realm, we must wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

"Yes!"

The cultivators responded in unison and immediately turned to leave.

The white-haired old man looked at Jiang Wang, his eyes full of gratitude: "Little Grandma, thanks to you for discovering this matter in time, otherwise my Auspicious Realm would probably have suffered a great calamity."

"You should go back now. We'll investigate the truth and then reward you."

Jiang Wang shook his head, pretending to be firm, and said, "Elder, I want to go with you too! Although my cultivation is not high, I can sense the evil aura of those demons, and perhaps I can be of help."

Only by personally participating can one better control the situation.

The white-haired old man hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. (End of Chapter)