Yang Jian slaughtered his way through Lion Camel Ridge, while the Jade Emperor returned to the Heavenly Court without staying idle.
At the last gathering in Lingxiao Palace, Grand Supreme Elder Laozi had actually called the Jade Emperor unjust before leaving with a group of people.
The Jade Emperor had remembered that grudge.
Heavenly Court. Tushita Palace.
The Jade Emperor traveled incognito, taking a leisurely stroll until he arrived at Tushita Palace.
"Jade Emperor, please stop."
Just as the Jade Emperor was about to push open the doors of Tushita Palace, two young attendants at the entrance stopped him.
"Hm? In this Heavenly Court, there are still people who dare block my path?" The Jade Emperor glared majestically, Emperor's Aura surging forth. With a single look, he sent the two attendants flying, making them cough blood and collapse to the ground.
"The dignified Jade Emperor actually tried to kill two young attendants. Have you no shame?"
The gates of Tushita Palace opened, and Grand Supreme Elder Laozi flashed out.
"Laojun, you're speaking nonsense with your eyes open. These two blind fools blocked the imperial procession. Their crime is unforgivable." The Jade Emperor chuckled.
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi flicked his whisk, reviving the two attendants, then stared at the Jade Emperor with an unfriendly gaze. "I think you're the one speaking nonsense with your eyes open. Can't you see the sign I put up?"
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi pointed at the plaque hanging above the gates of Tushita Palace.
A large line of words was written on it: "Closed to visitors. Heavenly Emperor, stop here."
Damn! The Jade Emperor's lips twitched, and he nearly cursed the old bastard aloud.
That sign had not been there a moment ago. This old bastard had actually conjured one up on the spot.
Shameless. "You old bastard, you really are cunning."
"You little brat, you're not bad yourself."
Neither of them was willing to yield verbally.
"Enough, Grand Supreme Elder Laozi. I came alone this time because I want to give you another chance—an opportunity for a boundless future." The Jade Emperor waved his hand. He could not be bothered to keep arguing with this disrespectful old fellow and went straight to the point.
"What do you mean?"
"Let's talk inside."
The Jade Emperor pushed open the gates of Tushita Palace and entered. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a bottle of golden elixirs. He then poured them into his palm as if pouring beans and tossed them into his mouth one by one like peanuts.
He truly did not treat himself like an outsider.
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi did not stop him.
"I came today mainly to invite Laojun for tea." The Jade Emperor lightly swept aside his dragon robe and took the seat of honor.
"You really have the leisure for this. Lion Camel Ridge wiped out the Journey to the West team and killed the Green Mane Lion, Yellow Tusk Elephant, and Golden Winged Great Peng. Aren't you afraid that Tathagata Buddha will soon come knocking at Lingxiao Palace?"
"What? The Journey to the West team was wiped out? How did I not know?"
The Jade Emperor was greatly shocked. Pointing at Grand Supreme Elder Laozi, he cursed, "You bull-nosed old Daoist, you're framing me!"
"..."
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi's face darkened. Was this really the Jade Emperor? He was simply a shameless rogue.
Seeing Grand Supreme Elder Laozi at a loss for words, the Jade Emperor secretly laughed. "Come, I recently picked some new tea leaves. I specifically brought them for you, Laojun, to try."
The Jade Emperor waved his hand and took out some tea leaves, then began brewing tea.
The moment the Jade Emperor brought out those tea leaves, a gleam flashed through Grand Supreme Elder Laozi's eyes.
These tea leaves were not ordinary!
They also felt strangely familiar.
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi lifted the teacup and took a sip, then was startled. "Enlightenment Tea?"
"That's right, Enlightenment Tea." The Jade Emperor smiled. "How is it? Tastes good, doesn't it?"
"The tea is naturally excellent." Grand Supreme Elder Laozi said, "As far as I know, Dao Ancestor Hongjun is the only one who still has a small amount of Enlightenment Tea. Could it be that you returned to Zixiao Palace to steal it?"
"Don't spout nonsense. In the Three Realms, everything beneath the sun and moon belongs to me. Why would I need to steal anything?" The Jade Emperor was imposing without anger, confident and arrogant, his imperial pressure overwhelming.
Arrogant! Grand Supreme Elder Laozi sneered. "Then where did it come from?"
The Jade Emperor bringing out Enlightenment Tea had indeed alarmed Grand Supreme Elder Laozi.
He himself had drunk Enlightenment Tea in Zixiao Palace before. At present, the tea leaves were extremely scarce, and only Dao Ancestor Hongjun possessed them.
The Jade Emperor acted so arrogantly that even Laojun was beginning to suspect that Dao Ancestor Hongjun stood behind him.
He could not help but continue probing.
The Jade Emperor smiled. "Where it came from isn't important. What matters is that as long as you, Laojun, submit to me and swear undying loyalty to me, I can let bygones be bygones. And this Enlightenment Tea—you can drink as much as you want."
Submit? Swear undying loyalty?
What a joke. Even before Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he had never considered submitting or pledging loyalty!
And the Jade Emperor thought he could?
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi shook his head and laughed. "With this little tea, you'll run out after brewing two more pots, yet you claim I can drink my fill. You really have a big mouth."
"Is this little bit not enough?"
Bang.
The Jade Emperor chuckled and waved his hand, tossing a sack in front of Grand Supreme Elder Laozi.
What the hell?!
When he saw the Jade Emperor take out a sack, he had thought it was just some rag.
But he never expected that the huge sack would be filled entirely with Enlightenment Tea!
There had to be at least three hundred jin of tea leaves inside!
Three hundred jin of Enlightenment Tea!
Even Dao Ancestor Hongjun in Zixiao Palace did not have half a liang of Enlightenment Tea!
Good heavens.
The Jade Emperor was this lavish?
He had just said that he had freshly picked these tea leaves. Could it be that he had an Enlightenment Tea plantation?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
If such a tea plantation existed in the prehistoric world, it would definitely be within Zixiao Palace, not elsewhere.
Yet there was no Enlightenment Tea plantation in Zixiao Palace!
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi was shaken. Staring at the Enlightenment Tea, his breathing became slightly hurried, his eyes burning with desire.
"Well? Become my subject, and you can drink Enlightenment Tea every day from now on." The Jade Emperor was very satisfied with Grand Supreme Elder Laozi's expression.
So what if he was a saint? Saints still coveted Enlightenment Tea just the same!
"Jade Emperor, have you not woken up yet?"
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi laughed heartily. "Enlightenment Tea may be good, but it is not particularly useful to saints like us. Do you really think you can make me submit with this?"
"Saints like us?" The Jade Emperor sneered. "You are merely a Good Corpse incarnation. How dare you call yourself a saint?"
"Hmph, only verbal cleverness." Grand Supreme Elder Laozi rose to see him off. "See yourself out."
"Laojun, three days. I'll give you only three days. Submit, or die." The Jade Emperor calmly shook out his dragon robe, speaking murderous words in a gentle voice.
"Please." Grand Supreme Elder Laozi waved his whisk without replying.
"Ah, what a pity."
Though the Jade Emperor spoke with a sigh, his face was full of smiles as he strolled away. "A generation's Laojun is about to vanish into smoke~"
"Hehe, Zhang Bairen, you will ultimately become my puppet. The Heavenly Court belongs to me, the Grand Supreme!"
Watching the Jade Emperor leave, Grand Supreme Elder Laozi sneered.
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi did not believe the Jade Emperor had any ability to shake his position.
In the Heavenly Court, he, Grand Supreme Elder Laozi, was the uncrowned king!
Outside Tushita Palace.
The Jade Emperor strolled along leisurely and soon spotted Grand Supreme Elder Laozi's mount, the Green Ox, some distance away.
"I remember Father saying last time that the family should roast a whole ox together next time. Laojun's ox should taste pretty good, right?"
The Jade Emperor stroked his chin, a smile curling at the corner of his lips. With a flash, he instantly released and withdrew the power of the Quasi-Saint Peak, collecting the Golden Immortal Green Ox into his sleeve before flashing away from Tushita Palace.
"Jade Emperor brat!"
Inside Tushita Palace, Grand Supreme Elder Laozi had barely sat down when he sensed that his mount, the Green Ox, had been abducted.
Grand Supreme Elder Laozi was so furious that he cursed loudly.
Meanwhile, the Jade Emperor laughed without end.
Before you continue