Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

"It is a favor, not an obligation, for the strong to save the weak. Rather than hoping for occasional pity and help from the strong, it is better to find a way to become strong and take firm control of your own destiny."

He paused, then left behind a sentence that shook all living beings present, especially Nezha and Ao Bing, as if a thunderclap had exploded in the depths of their souls:

"Remember, as long as you are strong enough, there is nothing in this world that you cannot do. Even turning life and death upside down."

The moment the words fell.

Far beyond endless space and time, in the strictly governed Netherworld, an unprecedented and terrifying anomaly has occurred!

On the banks of the Bridge of Helplessness, where the air is thick with ghostly energy and the wind howls, countless dazed and confused ghosts are being driven along in a long, numb line by indistinct underworld officials.

Among them were the countless civilians who perished tragically in Chentang Pass, as well as the bewildered soul of Shen Gongbao's younger brother, Shen Xiaobao. They still carried the resentment and bitterness of their tragic deaths in the mortal world.

"Alas, the mortal realm is controlled by immortals, and life and death are decided by the Heavenly Court. This underworld... reincarnation and rebirth, isn't it just a plaything in the hands of those with great supernatural powers?"

Shen Xiaobao looked at the murky, eerie Meng Po soup in front of him, gave a bitter smile, and with endless helplessness and resignation, was about to reach out and take it.

Because the Boundless Immortal had already secretly made arrangements, their grievances went unheeded in the underworld. The King of Hell and the judge hastily closed the case, waiting only for them to drink this soup, forget all their past grievances, loves, and hates, and then be thrown into the endless cycle of reincarnation.

However, just as his cold fingertips were about to touch the rough earthenware bowl—

An indescribable, irresistible, and supreme power that transcends all laws of the underworld suddenly descended!

"Om-!"

The entire underworld trembled violently! Space distorted, and time stood still!

All the wailing and howling stopped abruptly at that moment!

With Shen Xiaobao and the souls of the people of Chentang Pass at the core, their souls were forcibly separated from the chain of the Netherworld order by this tyrannical and powerful force, and instantly disappeared from the spot, as if they had never existed!

Meng Po, who was in charge of brewing the soup, trembled slightly in the ladle that had stirred the soup for countless ages. For the first time, her usually calm face revealed an undisguised solemnity and horror:

"The methods of a sage... forcibly interfering with reincarnation, reversing life and death, yin and yang... This, this is forcibly taking back the souls of the dead and the predetermined fate from the hands of the will of Heaven and the rules of reincarnation!"

The next moment, the giants of the Netherworld, including the Ten Kings of Hell, the Five Ghost Emperors, and the Six Heavens of Luo Feng, were all alarmed. Powerful divine thoughts swept across the Bridge of Helplessness like a whirlwind, but they found nothing.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief, but in the end, all the giants chose to remain silent, their divine senses receding like a tide.

When it comes to the methods of sages, even they, the rulers of the underworld, dare not, and cannot, easily inquire about it; they can only remain silent.

Meanwhile, at the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.

"Whoosh—!"

It was as if time and space had reversed, and cause and effect had been reconstructed.

The once solemn and quiet hall was instantly filled with countless figures that suddenly appeared, exuding an aura of the mortal world!

Men, women, young and old, gathered in a bustling crowd, dressed in various styles, their faces still bearing the terror and bewilderment of those who should have died in the Chentang Pass tragedy!

They looked at each other, clutching their arms, as if they had just woken up from an incredibly vivid dream.

At the same time, a flash of light and shadow appeared, and a disheveled but extremely excited figure fell out of the void. It was Shen Gongdao, who had been imprisoned in the secret dungeon of the Jade Void Palace and suffered endless torture!

"Father! Little Leopard!"

Shen Gongbao was stunned at first, almost unable to believe his eyes. Then he let out a heart-wrenching cry, rushed forward, and tightly hugged his father and brother who had been lost and found. Tears streamed down his face. His immense joy exploded at this moment, and he could not control his emotions.

Nezha and Ao Bing stood there dumbfounded, like clay sculptures or wooden statues, watching this sudden, noisy, and vibrant scene unfold.

An absolutely stunning experience!

To reverse life and death, to turn the world upside down!

This is the omnipotent saint!

Chapter 13 Rectifying the Chaos

Inside the Dragon Palace, clamor and tears mingled. Shen Gongbao tightly embraced his father, Shen Zhengdao, and his younger brother, Shen Xiaobao, whom he had lost and found again. This leopard demon, who was usually gloomy and stoic, was now crying like a child.

After a long while, he managed to calm himself down, then, pulling his father and younger brother along, he came before Qin Chuan and knelt down deeply without hesitation:

"Shen Gongbao, along with my father Shen Zhengdao and younger brother Shen Xiaobao, are willing to serve under the Sage, devoting ourselves to his service, even unto death!"

He knew perfectly well that this incident had completely severed ties with the Chan Sect, making him a true traitor.

The Boundless Immortal Elder would never let him go, and there would be no place for him to stand under the throne of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

The mysterious sage before him, who dared to confront even the Primordial Celestial Venerable and could even reverse life and death, was his and his family's only way to survive, and his only hope for future revenge.

Qin Chuan glanced indifferently at Shen Gongbao, showing no surprise.

He knew that although this leopard had a poor background, he was meticulous and good at planning. He was also a very key figure in the original Investiture of the Gods calamity. His words "Fellow Daoist, please stay" had tricked countless disciples of the Jie Sect.

Now that they're under his command, they might be of some use. He nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing.

Beside him, Ao Bing looked at Nezha's complicated expression and whispered words of advice:

"Nezha, the Chan Sect treats us like dirt in this way. Do you still want to go back? Why not come with us and follow the Sage!"

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, also spoke in a deep voice, revealing the cruel reality:

“Nezha, that Boundless Immortal dares to be so unscrupulous, refining demon cores and slaughtering living beings. Do you believe that the Primordial Sage knew nothing about it? The Chan Sect is rotten to the core from top to bottom. Why do you want to go back and suffer that humiliation?”

Nezha clenched his fists, his face showing even more struggle.

How could he not hate the hypocrisy and cruelty of the Chan Sect?

But when he thought of the kindness shown to Taiyi Zhenren, who risked a great loss of cultivation and the dissipation of the three flowers on his head to protect his soul, and when he thought of his two older brothers, Jinzha and Muzha, who were still in the Chan Sect, he feared that if he openly betrayed the sect, he might implicate them.

He finally shook his head, his voice low and somber: "I...I can't yet. My master has been so kind to me, and my brothers..."

Qin Chuan saw Nezha's struggle but did not force him.

He understood the nature of this reincarnated demon: arrogant, loyal, and clear about right and wrong.

Forcing them to stay would be counterproductive.

He believed that, given Nezha's temperament, a greater conflict would inevitably erupt sooner or later within the strict and law-abiding Chan Sect, which treated demons like dirt, and he would return then.

"If the time is not right, there is no need to force it."

Qin Chuan waved his hand, and a gentle force enveloped Li Jing's family and the newly resurrected people of Chentang Pass:

"Let's go back first."

With a flash of light, Li Jing and the others had been sent back to Chen Tang Pass.

Qin Chuan's gaze was deep, as if he could see the future: Yang Jian, the Heavenly God of War who, like Nezha, possessed a rebellious spirit and dared to fight, and the Spiritual Stone Monkey who was about to be born and stir up the world.

He was looking forward to seeing what it would be like when these three "traitors" were all under his command.

Once the Dragon Palace had settled down, Ao Guang stepped forward respectfully and asked, "My lord, now that the four seas have been pacified, what should we do next? Please give us your instructions."

Qin Chuan said calmly, "Keep it as usual. The Dragon Clan will continue to guard the four seas and maintain the water element cycle. There's no need to disturb them unless necessary."

The West Sea Dragon King Ao Run, quick-witted and astute, noticed Qin Chuan's apparent intention to leave. He immediately stepped forward, his body shimmering with purple light, revealing his majestic and beautiful purple dragon form. He then obediently lay down at Qin Chuan's feet, his dragon head gently lowered.

"Where does my master wish to go? Ao Run is willing to be his mount forever, at his beck and call."

Qin Chuan did not refuse and leisurely stepped onto the dragon's neck. The purple-gold dragon scales were warm to the touch and had a faint Daoist charm flowing through them.

His gaze turned westward, to the place where the human race's fortunes were at their peak, and to the true center of the vortex of the Investiture of the Gods:

"Go to Chaoge."

Ao Run let out a clear and resounding dragon roar that shook the four seas. His enormous dragon body, carrying Qin Chuan, instantly broke through the vast blue waves, stirred up boundless winds and clouds, and soared straight into the sky, transforming into a purple streak of light, heading towards the distant human capital.

Below, in the sea, countless aquatic creatures bowed and prostrated themselves in farewell.

This world of gods and demons is vast and boundless, full of endless mysteries, and is roughly divided into four continents.

Xiniu Hezhou is the foundation of the two saints of the Western Sect, where the sound of chanting lingers and incense burns brightly.

Beiju Luzhou is the main settlement of the ancient demon race after its decline. The environment is desolate and dangerous, with miasma rampant, and it hides countless ancient species and great demons.

The Eastern Continent and the Southern Continent are mainly inhabited by humans. Dynasties have changed and civilizations have flourished. A small number of demon forces are also mixed in, either living in seclusion in the mountains or mingling in the city.

Each continent is vast and boundless, and mortals cannot cross it in their entire lives. It contains countless blessed lands and worlds of all sizes. Each slightly larger blessed land can be regarded as an independent universe with different laws and bizarre and wonderful phenomena.

The Great Shang Dynasty, situated between the Eastern Continent and the Southern Continent, has become the most powerful human nation in the world, thanks to its formidable military strength and profound cultural heritage.

Its national strength was at its peak, with a million armored soldiers, its power dominating the four seas, and eight hundred vassal states in the east, west, south, and north bowing down to it and paying tribute every year.

Chaoge was the prosperous capital of the Shang Dynasty, a place where fortune converged and power and wealth were concentrated.

Ao Run rode the wind at an extremely fast speed, traversing above the clouds, while the mountains and rivers below receded rapidly like a chessboard.

In less than half a day, the majestic and imposing Chaoge City, with its towering walls reaching into the clouds, resembling a primordial beast perched on the earth and exuding a vast and boundless humanistic aura, came into view in the distance.

The city's outline gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen in the sunlight, and countless people and carriages swarmed in and out of the massive city gates, revealing its bustling prosperity.

However, the closer they got to Chaoge, the more shocking the scene became on both sides of the official road.

In stark and brutal contrast to the distant megacity that symbolizes civilization, order, and prosperity, are the endless piles of white bones lining both sides of the road!

Most of these skeletons are grayish-white, not from being eaten by demons or evil magic. The bones are relatively intact, but they are covered with marks from swords and arrows, broken ribs, and damaged skulls... Clearly, it was caused by human error!

A thick, lingering aura of resentment and death permeated the air, making even the sunlight seem colder.

Just then, a mournful commotion and desperate cries came from ahead on the official road.

A group of emaciated, ragged refugees, looking like candles flickering in the wind, were being brutally driven and even killed like livestock by a squad of Shang Dynasty soldiers in bright armor, wielding sharp blades!

Blood stained the dry yellow earth, and screams of agony filled the air.

A middle-aged official with a cold expression, dressed in a mid-level official's uniform, sat upright on a tall horse, sternly rebuking someone in a sharp and merciless voice:

"By order of Grand Master Fei Zhong and Grand Master You Hun! No refugees are allowed to approach within fifty li of Chaoge, lest they defile the imperial capital's atmosphere. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy! Clean them all up!"

The soldiers swiftly and mercilessly wielded their blades, their eyes filled with numbness and the cold-bloodedness of following orders, as if they were not cutting down their own kind, but rather weeds that were an eyesore.

Clearly, such behavior is commonplace here and has become a kind of unspoken "rule".

A hint of anger flashed in Ao Runlong's eyes. Although she was a dragon and had lived in the deep sea for a long time, she felt that this scene was too cruel and immoral, and against the natural order.

These are the subjects of the Shang king!

Qin Chuan's gaze turned slightly cold, and with a sweep of his divine sense, he understood.

This is not caused by demons, but by a tyrannical ruler!

The contemporary Shang king, Yin Shou, was cruel and tyrannical, indulging in extravagance and debauchery, and favoring sycophantic and treacherous ministers such as Fei Zhong and You Hun.

These sycophants, in order to cater to Yin Shou's ambition and desire to whitewash the situation, resorted to such cruel methods, slaughtering all the refugees to cover up the harsh reality of impoverished livelihoods and frequent disasters, as if they could not see these tragic scenes and therefore the existing problems would not exist.