Xuanzang was somewhat surprised when he heard this.
"Back then, my Big Brother and I wanted to set the Three Realms right, protect the Three Realms, and turn the chaotic Three Realms into peaceful ones. But that Jade Emperor was despicable, shameless, selfish, and self-serving. He was always wary of the two of us. At the same time, there was a pack of venomous schemers lurking in the shadows, constantly suppressing and harming us brothers. That was why I had no choice but to rebel.
"That murky, dark Heavenly Court—I, the Great Sage, wanted to smash it apart with one stroke of my staff. But those people were simply too despicable. The old evil forces were far too strong, far too entrenched."
As Goku spoke, Taishang Laojun and the others in the sky listened without expression. Naturally, they knew the people Goku was talking about were them.
But there was nothing they could do. After all, Goku had not named anyone directly. If they got angry, would that not be an admission of guilt?
Xuanzang listened to Goku from the side and nodded. "Great Sage, I understand everything you said. Whether they are gods perched high above or ordinary people in the mortal world, they are actually much the same. They will all do certain things for their own benefit. Just like the people at the top of the Heavenly Court that you mentioned—although their strength and status are both very high, they are still like ordinary people, possessing the flaws that most people possess.
"I do not think people like them can be called gods. At most, their strength is somewhat greater than that of ordinary people, and the place they live is somewhat higher. There is nothing else to it. They do not count as true gods; they