Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 442: The battle for the throne in heaven, the merit of following the dragon!
"I am the master in Nantianmen, and I am the superior in front of Lingxiao Palace!"

"I am the first one to protect the emperor, and I am the one who comes first when entering and leaving the court!"

After seeing this scene at the South Heaven Gate, Xiao Chen had a clearer understanding of the status of General Juanlian.

The General who Rolls up the Curtain, this Lingxiao Zhentian Jiangque General, the Jiuxiao Yushu Emperor's attendant, is worthy of the title.

As for why the gods later lost their previous respect when they saw the General Pulling the Curtain.

This is actually quite understandable.

As the saying goes: "To be with the emperor is like being with a tiger, you may be killed at any time."

Although the Curtain-Pulling General is trusted by the Jade Emperor and accompanies him, if he is not careful, he might anger the Emperor and bring about a fatal disaster.

The final fate of the general who rolled up the curtain was extremely miserable: "Even though the Jade Emperor was furious, he ordered the left assistant prime minister to take off his hat, armor and official title, and push his body to the battlefield."

The once majestic and powerful general, once he lost his power, became like a collapsing building.

His official title was ruthlessly stripped away, the official uniform that symbolized supreme power was forcibly taken off, and he was completely kicked out of the Heavenly Court system.

This... is actually very realistic.

Once General Juanlian lost his power, he lost the official uniform that symbolized power, and was no longer part of the Heavenly Court's system.

What’s even more tragic is that General Juanlian became a criminal and a labor camp prisoner.

Let me ask, who would respect such a general?

To put it bluntly, what the immortals respect you for is never you as a person, but the position behind you and the official uniform that symbolizes power.

When one day you find that people around you have become polite, it is not because they have become kinder or their quality has improved, but because you have become stronger.

……

The territory of the world of Journey to the West is vast and boundless, and its structure is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Apart from the division of the three realms of heaven, earth and man, in addition to the four continents and the four seas of the southeast, northwest, northeast and southwest, there are also the "Ten Continents and Three Island" hidden in the sea of ​​clouds and mist, mysterious and unpredictable.

The three islands in the world of Journey to the West.

One is the fairy island of Penglai, which is surrounded by fairy mist and where three fairies, “Fuxing, Luxing and Shouxing”, live. They are in charge of the blessings, wealth and longevity of the human world and protect all living things.

The second is the Immortal Mountain of Abbot, where the "Emperor Donghua" sits, in charge of the list of male immortals, with great majesty.

The third is the Yingzhou Island, where the “Nine Elders of Yingzhou” live in seclusion. They are otherworldly and free, and are called overseas immortals.

The ten continents are Xuanzhou, Changzhou, Liuzhou, Yuanzhou, Shengzhou, Zuzhou, Yanzhou, Fenglinzhou, and Jukuzhou...

The "Barefoot Immortal", a wandering immortal who travels around the world and whose whereabouts are unknown, may also live in the Ten Continents and Three Island.

……

Where exactly are these ten continents and three islands located in the world of Journey to the West?
Huaguo Mountain is known as "the ancestor of the ten continents and the origin of the three islands."

When Sun Wukong was asking for the ginseng fruit tree, he said, "The ancients said that it came from the sea. I am going to the East Sea, travel around the three islands and ten continents, visit the immortals and saints, and ask for a way to bring the dead back to life. Please help me heal the tree."

The same thing happened when Sun Wukong went to the Ten Continents and Three Islands. He quickly flew his somersault cloud, bid farewell to Wuzhuang Temple, and headed straight for the "Eastern Ocean". In mid-air, he was as fast as lightning and as swift as a meteor, and arrived at the fairyland of Penglai early.

……

From these descriptions, we can see the outline of the mysterious area of ​​"Three Islands" - it is actually hidden near Dongsheng Shenzhou, that is, on the shore of the East China Sea. It is a blessed land where the spiritual energy of the earth veins converges.

Regarding the Ten Continents, the Taoist classic "Records of the Ten Continents" records that the Ten Continents are scattered in the eight directions of the ocean, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world and seldom visited by people.

Generally speaking, the Ten Continents and Three Islands are that wonderland of sea and sky that is extremely far away from the land. They stand at the junction of the human world and the heaven, forming an independent and special existence.

The areas of the Ten Continents and Three Island are all separated from the secular world by barriers or folded spaces. Only with the guidance of immortals or riding on clouds can one reach those areas.

The Ten Continents and Three Islands are fairy mountains overseas, where many gods and immortals live.

After Qin Shihuang unified the six kingdoms, he longed for immortality and hoped to create an eternal foundation to continue his personal rule.

Later, Qin Shihuang sent Xu Fu to lead thousands of boys and girls and craftsmen to sea to seek immortality and the elixir of life.

In fact, these are the gods we are looking for.

……

Among the three realms, the gods who ascend to heaven are naturally managed by heaven.

However, the Three Realms are vast, and there are always some immortals who are unwilling to be bound by the rules of heaven. They hide in immortal mountains overseas or in blessed caves, creating their own world.

These immortals who are unwilling to ascend to heaven are managed by "Emperor Donghua". In the long run, they will become a force in the immortal world that cannot be underestimated.

To be more precise.

This area of ​​ten continents and three islands is a bit like the "autonomous territory" of heaven, where some overseas immortals practice, discuss Taoism, and live.

These overseas immortals manage the ten continents and three islands themselves and have a certain degree of autonomy.

But: "All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are the king's subjects."

Even if they are from overseas fairy mountains or overseas immortals, they must abide by the rules and regulations of Heaven, bow down to Heaven, pay tribute and worship to show their submission.

The birthday star once witnessed the Jade Emperor sitting in the Lingxiao Palace at the Peach Banquet, with all the immortals paying homage to him.

After the ceremony, the Buddha Tathagata arrived. The God of Longevity hurried forward and bowed, thanking him:

"I just heard that the demon monkey was led by Laojun to Tushita Palace for training... I don't have many treasures, but I have purple ganoderma and jade grass, green lotus root and golden elixir to show my gratitude."

After saying this, the birthday star presented the treasures from the ten continents and three islands.

The Jade Emperor nodded with a smile, and the birthday star took his seat.

The banquet in heaven will also entertain the gods from the ten continents and three islands.

The Seven Fairies once said: "There are old rules for the meeting. We invite the Buddha, Bodhisattva, Arhat from the Western Heaven, Guanyin from the South Pole... the immortals from the ten continents and three islands..."

Although these overseas immortals have their own forces, they still need to rely on the Heavenly Court and abide by the rules of the Heavenly Court.

However, undercurrents are surging within the ten continents and three islands.

Although the immortals appeared to be submissive on the surface, they actually had their own thoughts.

Some want to borrow the power of Heaven to protect the peace of one side; some practice in secret and seek immortality; even worse, some covet the authority of Heaven and want to borrow the land overseas to accumulate strength and wait for the right time to act.

The ten continents and three islands appear to be submissive on the surface, but they are actually hiding their sharp edges.

If one day, the Heaven Court loses its power, how can these scattered immortals be willing to be inferior to others?

……

The Heavenly Court is also secretly on guard against these overseas immortals to prevent them from becoming powerful and threatening the orthodoxy of the Heavenly Court.

……

The full name of Emperor Donghua is actually "The Great Emperor Donghua, the Immortal of Three Islands and Ten Continents".

As the saying goes: "A man's reputation is like the shadow of a tree."

The gods and immortals live in the Three Realms, and some of them get their names wrong, but the "names" are given by the gods and immortals in the Three Realms, so they cannot be wrong.

From the title "The Great Emperor Donghua, the Immortal of Three Islands and Ten Continents", it can be seen that Emperor Donghua is the boss of the Three Islands and Ten Continents.

at the same time.

Donghua Emperor's poem title: "Saintly titled Donghua Great Emperor, the first immortal family in the mist and clouds."

The Great Emperor is an official of the highest rank, and his position is among the highest among the immortals.

Emperor Donghua governs ten continents and three islands, and is the ancestor of the "Yanxia Sanxian".

The immortals in the mist and clouds are the realm of Taoist practice, referring to the immortal mountains and blessed places shrouded in clouds and mist, such as Penglai, Yingzhou, Fangzhang, etc.

"The First Immortal" means the chief among the immortals.

……

Emperor Donghua is now the lord of the scattered immortals in the three realms and the chief of the male immortals. He controls the ten continents and three islands and commands all the immortals overseas.

"Shangqing Lingbao Dafa" calls the Emperor Donghua the "chief of all immortals" and anyone who wants to cultivate immortality must first pay homage to him.

Those who want to become immortals must first pay homage to Emperor Donghua and then enter the heavenly palace.

The status of Emperor Donghua is very high.

……

This is actually a problem left over from the history of the heavenly realm.

In the Three Realms, there were once four Lords of Heaven.

The first one is Dong Wang Gong, whose residual soul was reincarnated as Donghua Emperor.

Second, Donghuang Taiyi and Di Jun.

Third, the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor is naturally the orthodox of the three realms.

Then isn’t Emperor Donghua, the “chief of the male immortals in the Three Realms”, the emperor who inherited the legacy of “the first Lord of Heaven, Lord Dong”, the orthodox one of the Three Realms?
Dong Wanggong was also once the "first Lord of Heaven".

Donghuang Taiyi and Di Jun are brothers and can share the world.

But the Jade Emperor can't do that. In today's sky, there is only one sun and naturally there is only one master.

How can the Jade Emperor deal with the "former Lord of Heaven" like Emperor Donghua?

The Jade Emperor is really difficult to deal with.

Emperor Donghua could only be granted a high position and placed outside the Heavenly Court.

……

What is the greatest achievement in ancient times, the achievement that can reach heaven in one step?

Just look at the "Xuanwu Gate Incident" and you will know.

The greatest merit in ancient times has always been "the merit of following the dragon!"

A minister who follows the dragon is an "original shareholder" of a group.

……

For these overseas immortals, is it better to join the Heavenly Court now, accumulate merits, work their way up from the grassroots level step by step, and slowly wait for a position to gain the most profit?
Or should you take a gamble, support the "restoration" of Emperor Donghua, make "the merit of following the dragon", get promoted in one step, gain territory and make the most profit?
Needless to say.

In life, you can either live a life of mediocrity or take a gamble.

As the saying goes: "Are kings, princes, generals and ministers of different species?"

In these three realms, there are cultivators who are steady and cautious, but there are also cultivators who want to take a gamble.

These "steady and cautious people" naturally went to heaven and endured the hardships honestly.

And the "big gambler following the dragon":
"Emperor Donghua is the reincarnation of Lord Dong. If we help him ascend to heaven, it will be a great achievement for the dragon."

"When the land is divided and the borders are sealed, the three realms and six paths will be established, and the new heaven will be established, there will be no need to worry about not having wealth and honor."

These gods naturally gathered in the Three Islands and Ten Continents. But now, the relationship between the Ten Continents and Three Islands and Heaven is very delicate.

In the three realms, undercurrents surge.

The Jade Emperor resides high in the Ninth Heaven, ruling over all spirits.

However, the power of Emperor Donghua is like the rising sun in the east.

There are two emperors in heaven, one in heaven and the other in the ten continents and three islands.

Countless overseas immortals gathered in the ten continents and three islands to discuss the general situation of the three realms with Emperor Donghua.

This is: "The Struggle between the Old Emperor of Heaven and the New Emperor of Heaven."

The war between the three realms of heaven, earth and man took only a moment.

The achievement of “following the dragon” is right before our eyes.

……

In the ancient desolate world.

"Dong Wanggong" competed with Donghuang Taiyi and Dijun for the throne of Heavenly Emperor. The battle shocked the world. Unfortunately, Dong Wanggong died and his remaining soul entered the cycle of reincarnation and was reincarnated as "Donghua Emperor".

Dong Wang Gong is the name of the innate god, and Donghua Emperor is the title after reincarnation.

Dong Wanggong died because of fighting for the Emperor of Heaven, and his "obsession with fighting for the Emperor of Heaven" was also passed on to Emperor Donghua.

The Jade Emperor is the orthodoxy of the three realms.

Then am I, the Emperor Donghua, the "chief of male immortals", the emperor who inherited the legacy of "the first Lord of Heaven, King Dong", not the orthodox one of the Three Realms?
Am I not an emperor?

in other words:

"Jade Emperor, that should have been my place."

"I inherited the will of the King of the East and am in charge of the records of all immortals. How can I be compared to the Jade Emperor? The Lingxiao throne should have the word 'Donghua' hanging high!"

Although Emperor Donghua inherited the title of "the chief of male immortals" from King Dong and ruled over ten continents and three islands, every time he looked up at the Heavenly Palace, he could still hear the sounds of swords and horses from the ancient Heavenly Palace.

The obsession in his heart is like the strong wind of Penglai Fairy Island, which lasts for a thousand years.

It was Dong Wanggong's "obsession with fighting for the Emperor of Heaven".

……

Fangzhang Immortal Mountain is actually the hub of ten continents and three islands. It is majestic and magnificent.

On the top of the mountain, the Taiyuan Palace stands majestically, magnificent and golden, like the Golden Palace of Yujing, reaching straight into the sky.

The ninety-five steps of Kunlun Jade Ladder in front of the palace correspond to the number of "Nine Five Supremes", symbolizing supreme dignity and authority.

Above the jade steps, there are tiles made of gold. Under the interweaving of sunlight and spiritual energy, purple light flows continuously, just like the jade buildings in a fairyland. It is actually a holy place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges.

The sea of ​​clouds in front of the temple rolls like rough waves. From time to time, fairy birds flap their wings and fly high across the sky, leaving behind brilliant colorful trails, which is a beautiful sight.

Zixiao Palace is the bedroom of Emperor Donghua, quiet and solemn.

At this moment, the emperor was sitting high on a cloud bed, wearing a white jade hairpin crown on his head, with an immortal look and a majestic demeanor.

Emperor Donghua's fingertips gently stroked the battle map on the table. The scroll was yellowish, but it emitted a bright golden light. It was the "Innate Pure Yang Sword Formation" left by the ancient King Dong.

This "Innate Pure Yang Sword Formation" is a relic of the ancient King Dong. It is condensed from the innate Yang energy and contains the secrets of the stars in the sky. It can be transformed into a killing formation to slay immortals and destroy gods, and it can also gather the Yang energy of heaven and earth to nourish all things.

Dongfang Shuo stood respectfully at the side. When he saw the emperor take out the picture, he was moved and couldn't help asking:

"Emperor, this battle formation diagram... could it be related to the new policy of the Heavenly Court?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Donghua's eyes swept across the rolling sea of ​​clouds outside the palace, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth. He said:
"The Jade Emperor wants to directly incorporate the Ten Continents and Three Islands into the Heavenly Court, recruit the scattered immortals of the Ten Continents and Three Islands, and erode the foundation of the Eastern King."

"Don't you know that the foundation of this heaven was established by the Lord of the East?"

"This map left by Duke Dong is my response."

"Let him know that he, the Jade Emperor, is not the only one in this world who reigns supreme."

……

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside the hall, crisp and urgent.

A man stood outside the door, raised his hand and knocked lightly, saying respectfully:
"Master, I have something important to report to you!"

In the palace, Emperor Donghua waved his sleeves and slowly put away the "Innate Pure Yang Sword Formation". With a gentle look in his eyes, he said:

"Bing'er, come in."

At this time, the palace door opened slightly, and a handsome young man with blue hair, dragon horns, and dressed in a silver-white robe slowly walked into the palace.

His eyebrows and eyes are picturesque, his appearance is delicate and handsome, his temperament is as gentle as jade, and his demeanor is elegant, just like a banished immortal.

His hair is dark blue, as deep as the waves of the sea, fluttering in the wind. He wears the crown of the East China Sea Dragon Prince, with ribbons woven from shark silk, dancing in the wind like flowing clouds. He wears dragon scale soft armor, which makes him look even more heroic and majestic.

This young man is none other than Ao Bing, the third son of the Dragon King of the East China Sea.

Ao Bing should have died, but he didn't.

Looking back in time, when Nezha was seven years old, he was bathing and playing in the Jiuwan River at the mouth of the East China Sea. He used his magic weapon Hun Tian Ling to stir the sea water, causing the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea to shake.

The Dragon King of the East China Sea mistakenly thought that an earthquake was coming, so he sent the patrolling sea yaksha Li Gen to investigate. However, because of his ugly appearance and rude words, the yaksha was killed by Nezha with the Qiankun Circle.

The Dragon King sent Ao Bing to lead his shrimp soldiers and crab generals to investigate. After Ao Bing saw the body of Yaksha, he questioned Nezha, and the two sides had a disagreement and a conflict broke out.

Nezha bound Ao Bing with the Hun Tian Ling and killed him with the Qian Kun Ring. He also extracted Ao Bing's dragon tendons to make a belt and presented it to his father Li Jing.

Since then, Ao Bing died.

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East China Sea, carried Ao Bing's body and traveled through the three realms, seeking medical treatment and visiting all the magical caves in the immortal mountains, but no one could save Ao Bing's life.

Of course, it is also possible that he did not dare to save Ao Bing. After all, saving Ao Bing would offend Taiyi Zhenren.

Taiyi Zhenren is extremely protective of his people, so there is no need to say what happened to Niangniang Shiji.

……

But Emperor Donghua dares.

Emperor Donghua also has a way to cure Ao Bing.

The three islands, Fangzhang Fairy Mountain, Penglai Fairy Island, etc., are adjacent to the East China Sea and not far from the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea.

Emperor Donghua and the Dragon King of the East China Sea are also old neighbors.

The Dragon King of the East Sea was not unaware of the relationship between Emperor Donghua and the Jade Emperor. There was a "two-emperor dispute" in the heavens, and the relationship was delicate.

But Ao Bing is the biological son of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. They are connected by blood and have deep affection for each other.

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East China Sea, loved his son dearly and was heartbroken. In the end, Ao Guang brought Ao Bing's body to Fangzhang Immortal Mountain.

Emperor Donghua has the "Nine-Turn Taiyi Huandan", which can heal all living things in the world and bring the dead back to life, with extraordinary effects.

finally.

Emperor Donghua gave Ao Bing a pill of "Nine-Turn Taiyi Huandan".

Ao Bing was able to be reborn, and from then on he became a disciple of Emperor Donghua.

Ao Bing survived a life-or-death crisis, was reborn, escaped from his mortal body, and achieved immortality.

But someone needs to fill the vacancy in the List of Gods.

The "Huagaixing" of the Heavenly Palace is the dragon that pulls the carriage and holds the umbrella in the Heavenly Palace, and is responsible for the ceremonial escort.

The Dragon King of the East China Sea found a powerful "surrogate dragon" to replace Ao Bing and ascended to the throne of "Huagai Star"...

However, this is a secret of the Three Realms, and very few people know it.

Everyone thought Ao Bing was dead, but in fact Ao Bing was not dead.

It’s just that Ao Bing hides in the ten continents and three islands and rarely appears in the world.

……

In Taiyuan Palace, Ao Bing spoke, prostrated himself on the ground, and said:

"Master, recently a group of immortals who are approaching the end of their lives have developed a different ambition and want to escape from the constraints of the Three Islands and Ten Continents and go to the Heavenly Palace to seek a glimmer of hope for survival."

"They say, they say..."

When Ao Bing said this, he suddenly fell silent and dared not say anything more.

Emperor Donghua looked at Ao Bing with a sharp gaze, his tone gentle but with unquestionable majesty:
"Ao Bing, you can talk about it."

Ao Bing took a deep breath and mustered up his courage and said:

"They said they wanted to go to the Peach Banquet in the Jade Pool of the Heavenly Palace and fight for a seat in the hope of achieving immortality and a life span equal to that of heaven and earth."

The hall suddenly fell into deathly silence, with only the smoke from the incense burner rising.

……

When talking about the three islands among the ten continents and three islands, we have to mention the three islands recorded in the Taoist classic "Yunji Qiqian" - "Kunlun", Fangzhang and Penglai.

In the ancient times, the three islands among the ten continents were Kunlun, Fangzhang and Penglai.

The Queen Mother lives in Kunlun Yaochi, which is the first of the three islands. It is surrounded by fairy air and is extraordinary and beautiful.

Later, the old Heaven was destroyed, the new Heaven was established, the master of Heaven changed, and the Queen Mother returned to her throne.

Kunlun Yaochi was also relocated.

When he traveled to the West, Sun Wukong searched for the three islands, but saw only Penglai, Fangzhang and Yingzhou.

However, it is hard to find any trace of the former Kunlun Island.

It’s not that the records in the classics are wrong, but that the world has changed and the terrain has changed.

……

"Hahaha."

"Peach Banquet."

Emperor Donghua suddenly raised his head and chuckled loudly, yet with a hint of desolation. The frosty and snow-like silver hair at his temples fluttered in the wind.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a hint of self-mockery flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said:

"Yaochi Peach Banquet?"

"Immortality, the same longevity as heaven and earth?"

"People in the Three Realms today may have long forgotten that when the Eastern King was in charge of the Heavenly Palace, the Peach Garden was still rooted in the Kunlun Immortal Mountain, and the Yaochi was also the Yaochi on Kunlun. The spiritual energy was dense and the immortal fruits were fragrant. Why should the immortals rely on others?"

"Now the Jade Emperor has moved all of Kunlun's Yaochi to the Heavenly Palace. Does he really think that no one in the Three Realms knows about this?"

(End of this chapter)