Everyone fell silent at this moment.
They had all heard tales of Emperor Jiuchen’s bellicose nature, and now they were witnessing it firsthand. He could take an entirely unrelated matter and somehow twist it to involve the Immortal Sect and the Demon Clan, exploiting it as an excuse to wage war.
Indeed, this strategy was formidable.
Meanwhile, in the heavens, the Jade Emperor, who had been closely monitoring the proceedings, furrowed his brow at Jiang Chen’s words.
He had always suspected that giving Jiang Chen control of the troops would lead to nothing good. True enough, Jiang Chen was plotting to escalate the conflict and take action against the Immortal Sect and the Eastern Sea’s Demon Clan - brazen indeed.
Thankfully, he had the foresight to use the Haotian mirror to present all the events occurring on Huaguo Mountain to everyone. Otherwise, the situation could have escalated.
The Immortal Sect of Dongsheng Divine Continent and the Demon Clan of the Eastern Sea would not obey the orders from Heaven Court. Thus, Jiang Chen would seize this opportunity to justify sending troops to attack them.
If a war were to break out, no matter the result, it would be greatly disadvantageous to the Jade Emperor.
If he won, he would face suppression from the saints.
If he lost, his reputation would plummet, and the dignity of Heaven Court would be lost overnight. If that happened, he, as the Jade Emperor, would truly be reduced to a ceremonial figurehead.
Therefore, this battle could not be allowed to erupt.
At the very least, until the Jade Emperor had achieved the Daluo Jinxian of the Primordial, the conditions in Heaven Court should remain as they are.
Keep in mind, the current balance was meticulously constructed by the Jade Emperor. Before he was prepared, he would not allow anyone, including Jiang Chen, to disrupt it.
Above Lingxiao Palace, a massive mirror stood, clearly reflecting everything transpiring on Huaguo Mountain to all the immortals within the palace.
Thus, everything Jiang Chen said was heard by these immortals, who remained expressionless as if they were indifferent to it all.
However, in the Sea of Consciousness, their primordial spirits were frantically taking action, persistently implementing secret laws, either notifying their friends in Dongsheng Divine Continent or alerting their comrades in the Eastern Sea’s Demon Clan.
The main idea was to urge them to obey Jiang Chen’s commands, aid Heaven Court on Huaguo Mountain, and not give Jiang Chen a reason to attack them.
In this wave, while Jiang Chen’s plan was nearly perfect, it was unfortunately undermined by the Jade Emperor, causing it to fail at the last moment.
On Huaguo Mountain, Jiang Chen waited for what seemed like a long time. Suddenly, he could sense bursts of powerful auras emerging from the deep Eastern Sea, rapidly closing in on their location.
Simultaneously, multiple powerful auras from the Dongsheng Divine Continent were also heading their way.
Jiang Chen instantly deduced that these were the masters of the Dongsheng Divine Continent and the Eastern Sea’s Demon Clan coming to their aid.
Disappointment flashed across his face for a moment, and then Jiang Chen said to the gods around him, "There’s no need to wait. Let’s attack Huaguo Mountain now. Who among you is willing to be the vanguard and lead the charge for us?"
At this, Nezha promptly stepped forward, saying, "Nezha is willing to be the vanguard, to test the depth of Huaguo Mountain."
"Very well!" Jiang Chen nodded, permitting Nezha to lead a group of soldiers towards the Shuilian Cave of Huaguo Mountain.
Shortly after the arrival of Heaven Court’s soldiers at Huaguo Mountain, the various demons were thrown into a frenzy, particularly since the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, with thunder flashing ominously. It left them constantly on edge as if a catastrophe was imminent.
One could say that as long as the Heaven Court’s soldiers did not make a move, the demons on the mountain would remain tense, dealing with immense pressure and not daring to let their guard down.
Now that the soldiers of Heaven had finally made their move, the demons felt relief rather than fear. They were pleased that they could finally engage in a real fight rather than playing mind games.
With these thoughts, the demons, armed with various weapons, charged forward in large numbers, boldly meeting Nezha and his troops head-on.
Following them, seven towering figures slowly approached and took their positions on a platform at the top of the mountain, watching Jiang Chen, the Pagoda Bearing Heavenly King, and others floating in mid-air above them.
These seven figures were none other than the seven greatest saints of the current Demon Clan, namely the Flatland Great Saint Bull Demon King, the Sea-covering Great Saint Flood Dragon Demon King, the Mixtus Great Saint Peng Demon King, the Mountain-moving Great Saint Lion Camel King, the Wind-guiding Macaque King, the Spiritual Rock Monkey King, and the Equal-to-Heaven Great Saint Monkey King.
Upon seeing the seven demons appearing arm in arm, Jiang Chen quickly ordered Nezha, who had been leading the charge, to fall back.
Nezha was strong, and in a one-on-one fight, perhaps none among the seven demons could surpass him. But if the seven demons joined forces, Nezha, despite his numerous treasures, would be no match for them.
Were they not all also in possession of Innate Spiritual Treasures? Nezha also knew the risks involved and hence immediately withdrew his men and returned to the camp upon hearing Jiang Chen’s command, rejoining the others.
At this moment, Jiang Chen looked at Sun Wukong and sternly inquired, "Sun Wukong, how dare you commit such a heinous crime, are you aware?"
"Not only did you steal and eat the Pan Peaches, but you also guzzled the royal wine, causing chaos at the Pan Peach Banquet. Afterwards, far from showing regret, you even stole Laozi’s elixir, and brought the stolen royal wine here to indulge."
"This is crime upon crime. If we do not punish you, where then would the Majesty of Heaven Court lie?"
Jiang Chen’s voice was loud, and it carried a trace of heavenly majesty. As it echoed in everyone’s ears, it was like the booming of thunder, too much for weaker demons to bear, causing them to faint on the spot.
Seeing Jiang Chen again, Sun Wukong had a complicated look on his face. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something but didn’t know what to express.