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

Jiang Wang's voice grew louder and louder, carrying a world-destroying aura, "Since the way of Heaven is unjust, then I will defy the way of Heaven; since destiny is unjust, then I will change destiny! The Journey to the West? It's nothing but a deception used by the way of Heaven to consolidate its rule and appease all living beings in the Three Realms. Why can't I disrupt it?"

Guanyin was intimidated by Jiang Wang's aura and took a half step back, her face even paler, but she still forced herself to stand firm and said in a firm tone: "Jiang Wang, you are confused! The Heavenly Dao has its own laws of operation. Every drink and every bite has its cause and effect. Although you were wronged in the past, you cannot go against the Heavenly Dao and disrupt the order of the Three Realms because of that!"

"If you turn back now and release Wukong from the restraints, allowing him to return to the pilgrimage team, I can plead with the Jade Emperor and the Buddha to forgive your mistake this time and let bygones be bygones, allowing you to start cultivating again and have the opportunity to join the ranks of immortals in the future, making up for the regrets of the past."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his eyes full of mockery: "Let bygones be bygones? Start cultivating again? Join the ranks of immortals? Guanyin Bodhisattva, do you think I, Jiang Wang, am a fool?"

"Back then, when I was framed, where was the Jade Emperor? Where was Buddha? And where were you?"

Jiang Wang walked closer to Guanyin step by step, his aura growing stronger with each step, as if the surrounding air had solidified. "You all stood high above, coldly watching me being hunted down, watching my family be destroyed, watching me fall into the abyss. Now that I've returned, you tell me to forgive and forget and let me start cultivating again. Do you think I'll agree?"

"Let me tell you, Guanyin Bodhisattva, I, Jiang Wang, have returned today to seek revenge, to overturn this so-called destiny of heaven, and to make those who have hurt me and abandoned me pay the price they deserve!"

Jiang Wang stared intently at Guanyin, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "The Journey to the West is the first step in my revenge, and Sun Wukong is the first pawn in my hand!"

Guanyin's expression changed drastically, and her fear intensified. She could clearly sense that Jiang Wang's aura was several times stronger than when he was in the Ancestral Dragon Abyss. He had already reached the peak of Quasi-Saint, and even showed faint signs of breaking through to the Saint Realm. She was no match for him at all.

But she suppressed her fear and spoke with a hint of warning: "Jiang Wang, do you know that Wukong is the reincarnation of the stone monkey, born extraordinary, and has the Golden Cudgel and Fiery Eyes in his hands, as well as the inheritance of Patriarch Bodhi? You can trap him for a while, but you can't trap him forever! Once he finishes refining and breaks through to the Quasi-Saint level, he will break free from your restrictions, and you will be no match for him at all!"

"Moreover, Tang Sanzang has Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse by his side. Although their cultivation is not as high as Wukong's, they are by no means ordinary people. In addition, with the secret protection of Buddha and Jade Emperor, if you insist on disrupting the Journey to the West, you will only suffer the consequences and die without a burial place!"

Jiang Wang curled his lip dismissively, his tone indifferent: "Sun Wukong? The legacy of Patriarch Bodhi? The Golden Cudgel?"

"Do you think I trapped him merely to disrupt the Journey to the West?"

Jiang Wang pointed at Sun Wukong below, a strange smile playing on his lips. "I trapped him to absorb the primordial power he generated when he refined the Six-Eared Macaque, to strip him of his Fiery Eyes, and to control his mind, making him the sharpest blade in my hand. In the future, I will make him personally deal with those who once protected and nurtured him!"

"As for the likes of Tang Sanzang, Bajie, and Sha Wujing, they are nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothings and are not worth fearing."

Jiang Wang said with a contemptuous tone, "Buddha and the Jade Emperor? If they really dare to make a move, I wouldn't mind letting them taste what it's like to be betrayed and crushed! What they owed me back then, I will take back little by little, with interest!"

Guanyin felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't expected Jiang Wang's ambition to be so vast. Not only did he want to disrupt the Journey to the West, but he also wanted to overthrow the Three Realms and take revenge on Buddha and the Jade Emperor. A sense of despair welled up in her heart, but she still didn't give up. Her tone was pleading: "Jiang Wang, wake up! Going against the will of Heaven will eventually backfire. Even if you can be proud for a while, you will eventually be wiped out by the Heavenly Dao and never be reborn!"

“I know you feel wronged and resentful, but there are many ways to take revenge. Why must you take this dead end? If you are willing to let go of your hatred, I am willing to do everything I can to help you find out the truth of what happened back then, help you get justice, and make those who framed you truly punished. Is that alright?”

Looking at Guanyin's hypocritical appearance, Jiang Wang's mockery deepened: "Find out the truth? Seek justice? Guanyin Bodhisattva, do you think I would still believe you? Back then, I naively thought that as long as I stayed true to myself and pleaded earnestly, someone would give me justice and help me find out the truth. But what was the result?"

"I was falsely accused of colluding with the demons, hunted down by the immortal sects, and despised by the three realms. Even my most trusted senior brother betrayed me and personally pushed me into the abyss."

Jiang Wang's voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow. "From that moment on, I understood that so-called justice and so-called truth are nothing but playthings in the hands of the strong. Only when I am strong enough can I reclaim everything that belongs to me and make those people pay the price!"

"So, you don't need to try to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up, and no one can stop me!"

Jiang Wang's tone turned icy again, his gaze sharp as a knife, "Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, now that you're here, don't even think about leaving."

"Either you submit to me, help me disrupt the Journey to the West, and overturn the Heavenly Order, and if I achieve my goal of hegemony in the future, I will appoint you as the second only to the Lord of the Three Realms, above all others; or I will cripple your cultivation, destroy your magical treasures, imprison you, and make you watch with your own eyes how I take revenge and how I overturn this so-called order of the Three Realms!"

Guanyin's expression changed, and her tone became firm: "Jiang Wang, don't be delusional! I am Guanyin of the South Sea, ordered by Buddha to protect the great cause of the Journey to the West. How could I submit to you and aid the wicked? If you want me to submit to you, I will only do so by dying!"

"Fine, fine, unless I die!"

Jiang Wang clapped his hands, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. "Since you refuse to submit, then I'll grant your wish! However, I won't let you die so easily. I'll cripple your cultivation, destroy your jade bottle, and pluck your willow branch, turning you from the lofty Guanyin Bodhisattva into a penniless, bullied cripple, so you can witness firsthand how I complete my revenge plan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Wang raised his hand and waved it. A black demonic energy surged from his palm, rolling and carrying a chilling aura as it swept towards Guanyin.

Wherever the demonic energy passed, the spiritual energy in the air was instantly swallowed up, and even the light became dim.

Guanyin's expression changed drastically. She dared not be careless in the slightest and quickly raised her hand. The nectar in the vase poured out and transformed into a golden light screen, blocking her way.

At the same time, she gently swayed the willow branch in her hand, and countless green light spots fell from the branch, merging into the golden light screen and making the light screen even more solid.

"boom!"

The black demonic energy collided with the golden light barrier, producing a deafening roar. The shockwave spread outwards, causing the entire deserted island to tremble slightly, and surrounding trees snapped and rocks flew everywhere.

Guanyin was jolted back several steps by the shockwave, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. Her face grew even paler, and her breathing became somewhat erratic. She looked at Jiang Wang, her tone filled with disbelief: "Your cultivation... has actually reached this level? A mere wisp of demonic energy possesses such power?"

Jiang Wang smiled faintly, his tone disdainful: "This was just a casual strike from me. Guanyin Bodhisattva, is that all you've got? It seems I really overestimated you back then."

"If this is all you've got, you're doomed today!" Jiang Wang raised his hand again, the demonic energy in his palm growing even denser, with a faint dragon's roar echoing within. "This time, I won't hold back. Prepare to die!"

Guanyin's heart tightened. She knew that she was no match for Jiang Wang. Continuing to fight would only lead to her death. If she wanted to live, to inform the Buddha and the Jade Emperor, and to save Sun Wukong, she had to find a way to break through.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her injuries, her eyes hardening, and her tone resolute: "Jiang Wang, do you really think this is all I'm capable of? Today, even if I fight with all my might, I will never let you succeed!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Guanyin quickly formed a mudra with her hands and silently chanted a mantra. At the same time, the vase and the willow branch emitted a dazzling golden light, which shot into the sky and connected with the clouds.

In an instant, the sky changed color, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and countless golden raindrops fell from the clouds. These raindrops were not ordinary rain, but contained a rich Buddhist power, pouring towards Jiang Wang.

"The power of Buddhism?"

Jiang Wang scoffed, his eyes full of disdain. "Great Bodhisattva Guanyin, have you forgotten that the cultivation method I practiced back then was most effective at countering the Buddhist power of you Buddhist disciples! You trying to use Buddhist power against me is simply showing off your limited skills before an expert!"

Jiang Wang raised his hand and waved it, and the demonic energy in his palm surged out again, transforming into a black barrier in front of him.

Golden raindrops fell on the black barrier, making a "sizzling" sound. The barrier shook violently, but it was never broken. Instead, the golden raindrops were gradually swallowed by the black barrier and transformed into Jiang Wang's power.

Guanyin's face turned extremely ugly as she watched this scene, and the despair in her heart grew stronger: "Impossible! This is impossible! How could my Buddhist power be devoured by your demonic energy? What kind of evil technique have you been practicing?"

"An unorthodox martial art?"

Jiang Wang laughed loudly, "In my opinion, what you call Buddhism and the righteous path are the most evil things!"

"Back then, I cultivated righteous techniques and was devoted to the Dao, yet I ended up in such a state; now, I cultivate so-called 'evil techniques,' yet they have made me so powerful, given me the ability to take revenge, and even give me the ability to defy the heavens!"

Jiang Wang's tone was tinged with sarcasm, "So, the so-called righteous path and evil path are nothing more than excuses used by you strong to bind the weak!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Wang flashed and appeared in front of Guanyin in an instant. His speed was as fast as lightning, and Guanyin had no time to react before Jiang Wang grabbed her wrist.

Jiang Wang's palm was icy cold and extremely strong. Guanyin felt as if her wrist was being clamped by an iron clamp, and the pain was unbearable. Her spiritual power could not circulate normally.

"Let me go! Jiang Wang, let me go!"

Guanyin struggled desperately, her tone tinged with anger and fear, "I am a disciple of Buddhism, protected by the Buddha. If you dare to harm a single hair on my head, the Buddha will never let you off!"

"Buddha?"

Jiang Wang curled his lip in disdain, his tone icy, "Even if Buddha himself came, I would still injure you! Today, I will not only injure you, but also cripple your cultivation and destroy your magic treasures, so that you can taste what it means to wish you were dead!"

As Jiang Wang spoke, he raised his other hand and patted Guanyin's dantian.

His palm was imbued with intense demonic energy. If he struck Guanyin's dantian, Guanyin's dantian would be destroyed by the demonic energy, her cultivation would be completely ruined, and she would become a cripple.

Just as Jiang Wang's palm was about to strike Guanyin's dantian, a golden light suddenly surged out from Guanyin's body, transforming into a golden phantom that blocked Guanyin's path.

This illusory image is Guanyin's natal Buddha light, containing rich Buddhist power, and is her last trump card.

"boom!"

Jiang Wang slammed his palm onto the natal Buddha light, producing a loud bang. The golden phantom shook violently, and the light dimmed slightly. Guanyin was also shaken by the shockwave, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her face was as pale as paper, and her breath was extremely weak.

Jiang Wang was also pushed back half a step by the force of the recoil. He looked at the golden phantom, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before he regained his indifference: "I didn't expect you to still have such a powerful innate Buddhist light. It's a bit beyond my expectations."

"However, this single ray of Buddha's light is not enough to save you!"

Jiang Wang's tone was icy as he charged at Guanyin once more, declaring, "Today, you will surely die!"

Guanyin looked at Jiang Wang rushing towards her, her heart filled with despair. She knew that her innate Buddhist light had been damaged and could no longer withstand Jiang Wang's attack. Today, she was afraid she would really perish here.

Just then, a clear bird song suddenly came from the sky, followed by a seven-colored ray of light falling from the clouds, which transformed into a figure that stood between Guanyin and Jiang Wang.

The figure was a seven-colored peacock with bright feathers, a graceful figure, a golden crest on its head, sharp eyes, and a rich divine power emanating from its body. It was none other than the Peacock King Bodhisattva.

The Peacock King Bodhisattva looked at Jiang Wang, his tone solemn: "Jiang Wang, stop! Guanyin Bodhisattva is an important figure in Buddhism. If you dare to harm her, you will be making an enemy of the entire Buddhist sect. Do you know the consequences?"

Jiang Wang stopped in his tracks, looking at the Peacock King Bodhisattva. A faint smile curved his lips as he said in a teasing tone, "Peacock King Bodhisattva? I didn't expect Buddha to send you to rescue her. That's quite interesting." (End of Chapter)