Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 92: Ren Tianxing’s Sarcastic Remark

Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Ren Tianxing’s Sarcastic Remark

Vermilion Bird City was majestically splendid, at its very center stood a thousand-foot statue, a carving of a Vermilion Bird enveloped in flames, soaring into the sky and crying toward the heavens. The craftsmen were indeed skillful, as the engraving of the Vermilion Bird was extremely delicate and lifelike, as if it might come to life at any moment.

Most of the Demon Tribe were rather lax, so there were no guards stationed outside the city walls.

Wukong and Yuan Hong strolled into the city at a leisurely pace and immediately felt a scorching aura. The Vermilion Bird Clan also cultivated fire, and there was a grand formation inside the city that drew in the power of the sun to accelerate the cultivation of the clansmen.

Members of great clans were generally few in number, as they tried to maintain the purity of their lineage, and moreover, their fertility was much lower compared to other races. For example, a female snake could lay dozens or even hundreds of eggs at once, while clans like the Vermilion Bird Clan had to spend two years to conceive an offspring, and if the bloodline was pure, it would take even ten years.

Wukong and Yuan Hong took the form of monkeys, and they were no ordinary monkeys. Those with keen eyes could tell at a glance that they were different from the common apes; they were taller, with golden fur and golden eyes, and their noble bearing made it clear they were of extraordinary origin.

There were many pedestrians in the city, and numerous shops were managed in a well-organized fashion.

From time to time, the patrolling guard squad of the Vermilion Bird Clan could be seen, ten-strong teams, all of them at the Profound Immortal Level.

Wukong said, "Let’s head straight for the City Lord’s Mansion."

Yuan Hong nodded in agreement.

The two traveled unimpeded all the way to the City Lord’s Mansion but were stopped by someone as they approached.

"Who goes there? Do you have a token?" A captain of the guard blocked their way and asked loudly.

"Demon Tribe’s Green Emperor Wukong has come to visit, please inform them."

"Divine Monkey Great General Yuan Hong has come to visit, kindly ask for notice."

After they reported their titles, the soldiers around them all showed drastic changes in their expressions.

The captain of the guard hurriedly bowed and said, "I have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai, please forgive me, Green Emperor and Divine Monkey General."

Wukong waved his hand and said, "No matter, make it quick!"

Even though they were from the Vermilion Bird Clan, the fame of the Green Emperor was known to all, and the Divine Monkey General was a great figure of ancient times; who would dare to slight them? The Green Emperor was the openly acknowledged leader of the Demon Tribe, akin to the Jade Emperor. Though there were many power-holders below, on the surface, none dared to disrespect the Jade Emperor, lest they be accused of blatant rebellion.

Shortly after, the lord of Vermilion Bird City came out to greet them.

The City Lord, Ren Hong, possessed top-notch Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation, and his Golden Core had been perfectly rounded for hundreds of years, a person who was expected to achieve the Daluo Golden Immortal.

Upon seeing Wukong and Yuan Hong, Ren Hong too felt compelled to bow and said, "Ren Hong pays respects to the Green Emperor and the Divine Monkey Great General."

Although Yuan Hong’s illustrious reputation was not as widespread, he was nevertheless a figure from the ancient past, an ancestor of the Demon Tribe, who could dare not to pay respects.

Wukong said, "Brother Ren need not be too courteous."

Ren Hong then invited Wukong and the others inside, ushering them into the reception hall of the City Lord’s Mansion and had fine tea and fruits served to them.

Ren Hong smiled and asked, "May I know what brings the two of you here today?"

How could he not know why they were there? The likely aim of these two was to get the Vermilion Bird Clan to take a stand, looking to Water Curtain Cave for leadership. But such matters could not be spoken out loud and had to be discussed behind closed doors.

Yuan Hong instead said, "Oh! Is the Clan Leader of the Vermilion Bird Clan present here?"

Ren Hong shook his head and replied, "The Clan Leader is currently in seclusion, striving for the breakthrough to become a Daluo Golden Immortal, and thus is not in attendance."

Seeing Ren Hong evade the question, Wukong felt quite displeased in his heart.

Wukong said, "The Buddhist Sect is now in a position of strength, it’s said that the Heavenly Court’s Jade Emperor is using thunderous tactics to intimidate all directions and resume control. Furthermore, the Witch Clan has taken charge of the Reincarnation Netherworld, the Asura Blood Sea is stirring, and the Demon Abyss in the Northern Region is also showing signs of unrest. Yet our Demon Tribe is still fragmented! Should the great catastrophe arrive, I fear we may not escape unscathed."

After hearing this, Ren Hong pondered silently and took a gentle sip from his tea cup.

Wukong said coldly, "The Demon Tribe is inherently strong, but its lack of unity makes it as scattered as sand, which is why it easily falls to defeat by others! Now that I am the Green Emperor, my goal is to unify all forces of the Demon Tribe, revolutionize the world, and restore freedom to the members of our tribe. Yet today, when I asked you to summon your clan leader, you hesitated and procrastinated, giving me nothing but useless talk! Are you trying to say that you do not regard me as the Green Emperor?"

Ren Hong’s hand trembled slightly, spilling the tea all over the place, staining the ground. His complexion turned extremely awful; he had not expected Wukong to speak such harsh words to his face.

"Now I command you, summon your clan leader forthwith, or else do not blame me for bestowing upon you the grave crime of rebellion in the name of the Green Emperor!" Wukong exclaimed.

"Very well! What audacious words from Sun Wukong, daring to spout madness within Vermilion Bird City!" Ren Hong rebuked loudly.

"How dare you prattle on in my presence!" Wukong retorted coldly, already standing up.

Seeing that the two sides had reached a breaking point, Yuan Hong also picked up the Heaven-reaching Rod, ready to follow Wukong’s lead. At any sign of trouble, he would wield his staff technique and turn this City Lord’s Mansion upside down!

Wukong was truly infuriated. With the great calamity approaching, the major clans were still at war with each other.

After all, Wukong was the Green Emperor. Though Ren Hong was esteemed as the lord of Vermilion Bird City, compared to him, Ren Hong was certainly not just a notch below. Moreover, Wukong radiated a chilling murderous aura, his eyes glistening with a golden light like two suns. When Ren Hong met his gaze, his momentum immediately dwindled significantly, and he didn’t dare to make a move.

"The Green Emperor, what a mighty aura, what a deadly air!" The Vermilion Bird Clan’s Great Elder, Ren Tianxing, emerged from the rear hall. He was clad in a fiery red vestment robe, his hair bundled up in a Daoist knot, and hands clasped behind his back, looking dignified and imposing.

Wukong greeted with a smile, "I’ve seen Daoist Brother, a bow to you!"

However, Yuan Hong lifted the Heaven-reaching Rod in his hand and slammed it fiercely on the ground. The impact caused the ground to crack open like a spiderweb, and the entire City Lord’s Mansion seemed ready to collapse. Yuan Hong shouted, "You junior of the Vermilion Bird Clan dare to act old and sell old in front of me! When I fought alongside your ancestor in the past, you weren’t even born yet!"

Ren Tianxing had reached the level of a Daluo Golden Immortal ten thousand years ago and was a contemporary figure to Indra. As a promising member of the Vermilion Bird Clan, he nearly made it onto the Deification Platform during the Middle Ages.

This time, Ren Tianxing indeed wanted to use his status as an elder to suppress Wukong, the younger member of the Demon Tribe. But with Yuan Hong, a figure from the Ancient era, stepping forward, how could Ren Tianxing suppress him? He intended to strike a snake but instead got bitten, leaving him with a blushing face.

Ren Tianxing could only bow to Yuan Hong and said, "Ren Tianxing pays respects to the Divine Monkey Great General!"

Now, the status of Wukong and Yuan Hong was akin to that within the royal court of the Mortal World. After the founding emperor’s demise, the crown prince ascended the throne, but the old prime minister had not yet died. This prime minister was still highly esteemed, a prominent official of the founding years. Wukong was comparable to the new emperor, while Yuan Hong was like the founding prime minister, whose prestige was currently still greater than that of Yuan Hong, the Divine Monkey Great General.

Yuan Hong then said, "No need for such formality!"

Ren Tianxing cursed inwardly, "You old monkey, even the scars of the Great Dao didn’t kill you! It must have been you who helped this Sun Wukong oust us from the game in the Emperor’s Path Ranking, trading on your old age!"

At that moment, Ren Hong paid his respects to Ren Tianxing, bowing and saying, "Great Elder."

Ren Tianxing waved his hand, feeling that Ren Hong had lost all face due to Wukong, leaving him with nothing but shame. He said, "Ren Hong, you go down first. I’ll speak with the Green Emperor and the Great General."

Ren Hong nodded and left alone, dismissing the attendants nearby.

Ren Tianxing invited Yuan Hong and Wukong to sit down.

Once the three of them were seated, Ren Tianxing spoke, "It is not that our clan is unwilling to pledge loyalty to the Green Emperor, but the late emperor has just passed away, and the clan members are deeply mourning. It is difficult for them to accept a new leader... Moreover, the new Green Emperor’s prestige does not compare to the former, so if you want our loyalty, you have to show some real authority."

Wukong chuckled and asked, "What sort of authority do you speak of, brother?"

Ren Tianxing said with a smirk, "Heh heh! Currently, the Heavenly Court is mighty, and so is the Buddhist Sect. If the Green Emperor could stir up another upheaval at the Celestial Palace, then naturally, his prestige would be unmatched."

Upon hearing this, Wukong’s expression turned colder. In the eyes of the discerning, his upheaval in the Heavenly Court in the past was nothing but a joke. The foundations of the Heavenly Court were profound. Now that the Jade Emperor had reasserted his power with a thunderous approach and the three great emperors were recuperating in seclusion, daring not to act rashly, for him to cause another upheaval in the Heavenly Court would be like looking for trouble.

Wukong replied methodically, "The Jade Emperor has now regained control, and the foundations of the Heavenly Court are profound; it is not a place one can simply wreak havoc upon at will."

Ren Tianxing, however, prodded at Wukong’s sore spot, "You did it once before, and naturally, you can do it again now!"

Wukong laughed coldly twice and retorted, "Back then, you were just coming out of your mother’s womb, and now can you still get back in?"

Yet Ren Tianxing’s expression remained unchanged as he replied, "The Green Emperor jests."

Wukong said, "Ren Tianxing, don’t push your luck. I have come to visit in person as the Green Emperor of the Demon Tribe, and you still hold yourself above me. Do you think you’re too capable?"