Journey to the West: With a supernatural understanding, he entered Fangcun Mountain at the beginning
Chapter 30 - Imitating Heaven and Earth

Chapter 30: Imitating Heaven and Earth

“Oh? May I ask which two divine generals the Bodhisattva is referring to?” The Jade Emperor asked curiously.

As for who would subdue the monkey demon, he already had some candidates in mind. But the other person… to be honest, even the Jade Emperor had to admit—The one favored by the underworld possessed several of the mighty “Heavenly Gang” divine powers. Among the Taiyi Golden Immortals across the Three Realms, there were very few who could match him.

Could it be that a Da Luo Golden Immortal had sent down an incarnation to the mortal realm?

That would be acceptable if they won—but if they lost, it would be a loss of face. Besides, the Daoist, Buddhist, and Celestial courts already had a tacit understanding. Now was not the time for Da Luo Golden Immortals to step into the fray.

Guanyin joined her palms and gave a slight bow, saying, “They are Your Majesty’s nephew, the Manifested Sage, Miraculous and Mighty King Erlang Zhenjun; and Your Majesty’s niece, the Three Holy Mother of Mount Hua in the Western Mountains.”

The Jade Emperor was stunned. “The Three Holy Mother?”

Guanyin recommending Erlang Shen came as no surprise. Among the Taiyi Golden Immortals of the Three Realms, few had the confidence to subdue the Monkey King. His own nephew—first among the third generation of Daoist immortals—was a suitable candidate.

But the Three Holy Mother…?

“Uncle!”

In the Jade Emperor’s ears, the voice from long ago still echoed within the Celestial Court—calm, neither humble nor arrogant, yet devoid of warmth. His expression grew complicated.

“Taibai Jinxing!”

“Your servant is here!” replied Taibai Jinxing respectfully.

“Deliver my decree: The demon monkey of Huaguo Mountain, the self-proclaimed Great Sage Equal to Heaven, is causing havoc. A rogue immortal named Qin Chuan has defied the Heavenly Law. Dispatch Erlang Shen, the Manifested Sage of Guanjiangkou, and the Three Holy Mother of Mount Hua in the Western Mountains to suppress the demons!”

“By your command!”

Huaguo Mountain was shrouded in clouds and fog as heavenly troops and generals surrounded it tightly like walls of iron and copper. Yet the soldiers’ morale was low—they looked weary. The “No Battle” banner hung high above.

Outside the perimeter, the Monkey King stood proudly, golden staff in hand, shouting mightily:

“Scruffy immortals! If you don’t come out, your Grandpa Sun will storm in!”

His voice shook the heavens, echoing across the sky.

Li Jing wore a bitter expression, holding the Pagoda in one hand and clasping the other behind his back as he paced.

Since Huian Walker left, the celestial troops had fought several more skirmishes with the demon monkey.

Nezha was “wounded” and remained out of action. The Nine Luminaries Star Lords had been severely beaten. The Twenty-Eight Constellations wailed in pain. The Four Heavenly Kings had nearly been captured.

Even he—Commander of the Three Armies—had to personally act. From within the battle formations, he unleashed the Exquisite Pagoda, but it had been broken by the envoy who claimed to emulate the Earth Goddess Houtu and act on Heaven’s behalf.

Had he not reacted quickly, even the Pagoda might have been taken. The two down below were nothing short of bandits. Over these past days, they had plundered many celestial weapons from the heavenly soldiers and used them to arm the monsters of Huaguo Mountain.

Just then, a minor deity rushed in to report:

“Heavenly King, the Manifested Sage Erlang Zhenjun has arrived with his Mei Mountain brothers and 1,200 grass-root deities to assist!”

Li Jing was overjoyed. He flicked his sleeve and said, “Quick, invite him in!”

The camp gates opened wide. Erlang Shen, Yang Jian, entered from outside—graceful in bearing, solemn in demeanor, and exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

His face was as fair as powdered jade, lips like crimson paint, eyes like bright stars, brows like new moons.

He held a three-pointed, double-edged spear, wore a hat adorned with phoenix plumes from Three Mountains, a robe of golden dragons and phoenixes, boots that rode the wind and clouds. He was accompanied by an eagle and a divine hound—truly majestic.

“Heavenly King Li, how is the battle?” Yang Jian asked directly upon entering the tent, clearly anxious.

Li Jing hurriedly recounted the events of the past days to Yang Jian.

Yang Jian was surprised. “Heavenly King Li, you’ve just let that monkey demon shout and provoke us like that?”

Li Jing gave a bitter smile. “Zhenjun, it’s not that this commander doesn’t wish to fight. It’s just that the monkey and that envoy possess vast divine powers. All our divine generals have been defeated—even Nezha…”

“Even Brother Nezha lost?” Yang Jian was slightly astonished. At this moment, Nezha descended on his Wind-Fire Wheels, floated in, and upon seeing Yang Jian, greeted him joyfully, “Second Brother!”

Yang Jian nodded. “Brother, hold off for now. I’m going to challenge that monkey in a contest of transformations.”

Li Jing quickly said, “Zhenjun, shall this commander send troops to assist?”

Yang Jian burst into laughter:

“All you divine generals need to do is cast a Heaven-and-Earth Net to surround this mountain. If I lose to him, there’s no need for assistance; if I win, my brothers will take him down with ease.”

After speaking, he strode outside. In a low voice, he said to Kang Tawei, the eldest of the Meishan brothers beside him:

“Kang Laoda, you’re staying here. Stop our Third Sister from joining the battle. Once I finish off the monkey, I’ll deal with that envoy. Don’t let her enter the battlefield under any circumstance.”

Kang Laoda nodded in understanding, knowing full well that their Second Lord had rushed here because he’d heard the Jade Emperor had issued a decree involving their younger sister.

Yang Jian, leading the Meishan brothers and 1,200 grassroots deities, exited the camp. Sure enough, outside stood the Monkey King, still cursing:

“You old fart Jade Emperor—your troops are nothing but weaklings!”

After his rant, the monkey was about to return to the mountain when he suddenly spotted a divine general walking out from the Heavenly Army’s camp—bearing a commanding presence.

The Monkey King grinned and mocked, “Where are you from, little general? You dare come here to die?”

Yang Jian also smiled. His first impression of the monkey wasn’t bad, and he replied, “I am the Manifested Sage and Miraculous King of Guankou River—Erlang Zhenjun. The Jade Emperor has ordered me to capture you.”

“Oh?”

The monkey scratched his head, curiously eyeing Yang Jian before smirking, “I heard that the Jade Emperor’s little sister once fell in love with a mortal and bore two sons and a daughter. The eldest died young, so you must be the second son—the one who split Peach Mountain with an axe?”

Yang Jian’s expression gradually darkened.

This monkey—such a sharp tongue.

He shouted, “Demon monkey! Spare me the chatter and show me what you’ve got!”

The two clashed—Yang Jian with his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Spear, and the monkey with his Golden Cudgel. Sparks flew instantly, thunder cracking across the skies. The resulting shockwaves surged like furious tides, scattering the surrounding clouds into rolling waves.

Their expressions both turned serious—just one exchange had revealed that the other was no ordinary opponent. A worthy rival for life.

The two warriors battled in the skies—wind and thunder raged, the heavens and earth turned dim.

The Monkey King, agile and fierce, unleashed divine powers, wielding his cudgel with unstoppable might, shattering Yang Jian’s techniques like bamboo.

Yang Jian, clad in silver armor and wielding his spear with grace, moved with incredible speed, matching the monkey blow for blow.

The monkey multiplied into thousands of forms. Yang Jian responded to each one without fail.

Above the clouds, their weapons clashed in bursts of sparks and flashes of lightning, with winds sweeping away the last traces of calm.

They moved like the wind—at times flipping through the sky, at others weaving through the lower clouds.

The battle raged on, neither side gaining the upper hand. Suddenly, the Monkey King had an idea. He transformed into a wisp of green smoke, drifting behind Yang Jian.

Sensing something was wrong, Yang Jian spun around to counter, only to see the golden cudgel bearing down on him.

With no time to dodge, he had no choice but to take the hit head-on. Staggering back several steps, Yang Jian steadied himself.

Then, he suddenly unleashed his divine power—his spear shining with dazzling light.

The monkey reacted quickly, dodging to the side. But Yang Jian used the opportunity to strike at the monkey’s back.

Caught off guard, the monkey took a solid hit. Even with his indestructible body, the blow made him grimace in pain.

The two pulled apart, warily eyeing each other.

They raised their weapons high and shouted in unison: “Imitate Heaven and Earth!”