Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage-Chapter 76 - Haotians Iron Fist Shocks the Four

The Jade Emperor, irate, exclaimed, “Zhao Gongming, will you not make a move!”

Having no choice but to comply with the Jade Emperor’s prompt, Zhao Gongming sacrificed the Golden Jiao Scissors. He had come here to set up a trap to kill Emperor Gou Chen and had even specially borrowed the Golden Jiao Scissors from his sister Sanxiao before arriving. The Golden Jiao Scissors had shown their brilliance during the Deification War of the Middle Ages. He had intended to use this treasure to take Emperor Gou Chen by surprise and, by doing so, relax a bit.

No sooner had the Golden Jiao Scissors been raised than a ray of golden light struck them, knocking them down.

“Amitabha Buddha, well done, well done! Indra, what grave sin have you committed that even the Supreme Lord of Heaven seeks to capture you?”

The newcomer was none other than the Tathagata Buddha, the vigorous sovereign of the Western Heavenly Buddha Land. He sat cross-legged on a lotus pedestal with his hands clasped, his sixteen-foot Golden Body radiating Buddha’s Light, resplendent and full of compassion, contributing an aura of profound mystery.

With just a couple of moves, Tathagata Buddha separated Wen Zhong from Emperor Gou Chen, who were deeply engaged in their fight, each hating not to devour the other’s head.

Although Emperor Gou Chen’s techniques and mana were much superior to Wen Zhong’s, he was at a disadvantage, for Wen Zhong wielded the plain-colored Cloud Boundary Flag, a powerful magical treasure that had even broken the mighty Sky-Overturning Seal of Yin Hong. Moreover, the twenty-four gods of the Thunder Department formed a large array, casting Divine Thunder, which left Emperor Gou Chen on the losing end.

“Disperse, all of you!” commanded the Buddha Ancestor.

The twenty-four gods of the Thunder Department and the Seven Fairies in the sky all quickly retracted their treasures and retreated, daring not to transgress any further.

The Jade Emperor’s face turned a shade of green with irritation. Just as he was about to capture Emperor Gou Chen, a bald figure had appeared out of nowhere.

The Tathagata gave a bow to the Jade Emperor and asked, “Why does the Emperor of Heaven seek to capture Gou Chen?”

The Jade Emperor’s mouth twitched for a moment before replying, “Gou Chen has disobeyed my commands, passively and actively. He was long overdue for arrest! I sent him to the Mortal World to handle the Southern Ridge matter, but he managed it poorly and deserves to be captured!”

Emperor Gou Chen snorted coldly, saying nothing; when one wishes to punish someone, one can always find faults. The Jade Emperor had been plotting this for a long time and could probably present evidence at a moment’s notice. To do so, however, would only serve to tarnish his own image.

But Tathagata spoke again, “Amitabha Buddha, I see! Although the Emperor Gou Chen is now guilty of a major offense, he took orders from my master in ancient times to ascend the Deification Platform and thus has significant karmic ties with my Buddhist Sect. Even though he has a major fault, I request that the Emperor of Heaven bestows us the favor of handing him over to our sect.”

The Jade Emperor’s face looked particularly unsightly, as Tathagata openly demanded custody. It was an affront to his own dignity!

However, the Queen Mother stepped out from her chariot, and suddenly, seven-colored petals floated in the sky. She said with a smile, “The Buddha Ancestor is a benefactor of our Heavenly Court; since he asks for Gou Chen, let him be taken. This could also be seen as repaying the Buddha Ancestor’s kindness to our Emperor.”

By saying this, the Queen Mother was creating an out for the Jade Emperor—this time you came asking for a favor, not because I am scared of you, but because you once lent a hand and were kind to me. Giving Gou Chen to you is to repay that kindness!

The Jade Emperor’s expression softened slightly as he waved his hand and said, “Since the Buddha Ancestor has spoken thus, I shall not pursue it further. Let this be a repayment of the kindness from the past year.”

The Buddha Ancestor clasped his hands with a smile and said, “Thank you, O Jade Emperor, the supreme lord above all.”

With the Jade Emperor’s consent, Tathagata Buddha took Emperor Gou Chen and left.

The Jade Emperor sighed and said, “Not capturing Gou Chen today is decreed by fate, my ministers. You may all disperse.”

Fate, always fate. These people liked to attribute their failures to ‘fate’—an interesting rationale indeed.

After everyone had dispersed, the Jade Emperor set out with the Queen Mother to the Jade Pool, returning the plain-colored Cloud Boundary Flag to her in the process.

Sitting beside the Queen Mother in the carriage, the Jade Emperor complained, “That Tathagata is really insufferable, actually having the audacity to demand a person from us! It’s also Zhao Gongming’s fault for not giving his full effort. If he had sacrificed the Golden Jiao Scissors earlier, wouldn’t we have captured that scoundrel?”

The Queen Mother sighed, “Your Majesty, there’s no need to be annoyed. He was taken, so be it. I have already ordered the Taiyi Protector Heavenly King to go to the Western Extremity Palace to take control of Gou Chen’s close confidants. With the power of the Western Extremity Palace reclaimed, the plans of these past five hundred years were not in vain. With the support of the Western Extremity Palace, the other three emperors will surely be apprehensive and no longer dare to pay lip service while acting to the contrary.”

The power of Emperor Gou Chen of the Western Extremity Palace was enormous, ranking at the top among the four emperors, commanding millions of demon soldiers and numerous skilled demon generals. Now that his influence had waned, by just controlling a few of his close confidants, the whole of the Western Extremity Palace could be taken without a fight.

The Jade Emperor said, “Well, his influence has already waned. Letting Tathagata take him back now probably means he will return to the Western Heavenly Buddha Land to continue serving as the Protector Heavenly King.”

The Jade Emperor’s actions were grand, having planned for over five hundred years, and everything had been arranged meticulously. As a result, the assassination of Emperor Gou Chen and the capture of the Western Extremity Palace did not alarm the Longevity Emperor of the Southern Ridge, the Emperor Ziwei of the East Pole, or the Great Emperor of True Martial Conquest of Demons of the North Pole.

Without delay, the Jade Emperor issued another imperial edict.

The edict read, “Now, Gou Chen, the Supreme Lord Indra of the Western Extremity, has acted immorally, deemed himself too important, and resisted the decrees of the Heavenly Court. His crimes are unforgivable, and he has already been apprehended by the elderly Buddha! Nevertheless, the Western Extremity Palace cannot remain leaderless for even a day. Today, under the grace of the heavenly mandate, I issue my decree: Ziwei Great Emperor is specially appointed to preside over the Central Palace, managing all celestial stars, to ensure peace under heaven; the Taiyi Protector Heavenly King, Lv Dongbin, is appointed as the Great Emperor of the East Pole Green Splendor, in charge of the East Pole Palace, taking over the duties formerly under Great Emperor Ziwei; the Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Divine Thunder Purifying Heavenly Lord, Wen Zhong, is appointed as the Western Extremity Gou Chen Great Emperor, unifying the demon tribes of the world, leading the divine host of his division, consisting of twenty-four gods, to preside over the Western Extremity Palace. The five emperors upon ascension, should unite with one heart, support each other, and maintain the peace of the Three Realms. Thus, I decree!”

Upon the completion of the edict, there was an uproar within the Heavenly Court.

The Ziwei Great Emperor let out a long sigh toward the heavens and proceeded with his confidants to ascend to the Purple Tenuity Palace in the Ziwei Star of the Central Palace, in order to manage all celestial bodies henceforth.

The Taiyi Protector Heavenly King, Lv Dongbin, led his seven Daoist peers to take over the East Pole Palace, renaming the Ziwei Hall to the Green Splendor Palace and assuming the title of the Great Emperor of the East Pole Green Splendor.

The Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Divine Thunder Purifying Heavenly Lord, Wen Zhong, led the twenty-four gods of the Thunder Department to take over the Western Extremity Palace, assuming command over the forces formerly under Gou Chen, proclaiming himself as the Heavenly Emperor Gou Chen Supreme Lord of the Western Extremity, working with the Jade Emperor to manage the southern and northern poles, the trinity of heaven, earth, and man, ruling the demon tribes, and overseeing martial affairs in the Mortal World.

The Heavenly Court’s major movements were indeed swift and powerful, befitting five hundred years of preparation.

The Taiyi Protector Heavenly King had already covertly helped the Jade Emperor take down the Western Extremity Palace, and now being conferred the title of the Great Emperor of the East Pole Green Splendor, he had become a trusted confidant of the Jade Emperor. There was no need to say more about the Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Divine Thunder Purifying Heavenly Lord, Wen Zhong.

With this move, the Great Emperor of the East Pole who occupied the Central Palace gained more power, although his influence had been diminished significantly. It was not just because the East Pole had been operating for many years, but now, with four emperors having become five, and two of the emperors among the five being confidants of the Jade Emperor, a balance had been struck between three and three, a far cry from when the quartet had joined forces.

The Jade Emperor, still desiring action, dared not do more, for the other three emperors were not to be underestimated, and a provoked confrontation could potentially lead to a rebellion. Moreover, with the power dynamics of the Three Realms being so complex and varied, if the three emperors were to rebel, the Heavenly Court would undoubtedly be in danger!

On this day, the Jade Emperor held court in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

All the officials came to the court, bowing and saying, “Long live our Emperor, long live, long live.”

The Most Supreme Lord, the Jade Emperor, sat upon his dragon throne and spoke calmly, “My dear ministers, please rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The Jade Emperor today looked radiant and spoke with a steady and forceful voice, no longer as indecisive as in days past, as if he had become a different person.

The Jade Emperor smiled and said, “Indra has made a grave mistake and was rightly taken away by the elder of the Western Heaven. Today, with unease reigning within the five imperial courts of the Heavenly Court, the five emperors have an inescapable responsibility. I hope the five emperors will lead by example and quickly dispel rumors and calm the public mind.”

The five emperors were also present at court today, sitting to the side of the Jade Emperor. Hearing his words, they stood up together, gave a respectful bow, and said, “We accept the decree!”

With the Jade Emperor having seized control of the Western Extremity Palace and his influence greatly increased, the Queen Mother’s five hundred years of networking also came to the forefront at this moment. Even the Ziwei Great Emperor, the Longevity Emperor, and the Great Emperor of True Martial Conquest of Demons were apprehensive. Now, without the bolstering power of the Western Extremity Palace, any conflict that might arise would likely end in mutual destruction.

The rise in power of the Jade Emperor was the least desired outcome for them; they had long been scheming, gradually moving to sideline the Jade Emperor, and they could not have predicted his shrewdness in capturing the Western Extremity Palace with thunderous momentum, expelling Emperor Gou Chen, and winning over both the Taiyi Protector Heavenly King, Lv Dongbin, and the Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Divine Thunder Purifying Heavenly Lord, Wen Zhong.

After instructing the five emperors to take their seats, the Jade Emperor said, “Do my ministers have any reports to present?”

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Taibai Venus stepped forward and said, “Your servant has a report!”

The corners of the Jade Emperor’s mouth lifted into a meaningful smile as he said, “Let’s hear it!”