"Very well, Minister Xu is absolutely right. You may introduce Sun Wukong to all of you, and also explain the position of the God of Battle to everyone."
The Jade Emperor gave a single command, then sat calmly on his fishing platform.
He wanted to include the well-mannered monkeys in the Heavenly Court's camp, but he couldn't show it; he even had to appear as if he was giving the Western Sect some opportunities.
The monkey's importance in the Journey to the Westward Calamity was such that even the Jade Emperor could not intervene to stop him.
Knowing that the other party was reluctant to speak, Xu Xiao naturally took on the responsibility of offending them and stepped forward to speak:
"Fellow celestial officials, the one before me should be familiar to all of you."
"In the lower realm of Eastern Purvavideha, there is a blessed land called Flower-Fruit Mountain, Yamanaka there is a strange stone left over from when the Goddess Nüwa Nuwa mended the sky."
"More than twenty years ago, this extraordinary stone absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and through the creation of heaven and earth, naturally gave birth to this being of heaven and earth, namely Fellow Daoist Sun."
As he spoke, Xu Xiao pulled Sun Wukong forward a step, and the monkey raised his head and puffed out his chest, showing off his figure to all directions.
His background is quite extraordinary. He was Heaven-Mending Stone left behind by the Goddess Nüwa Nuwa when she mended the sky, and he was naturally blessed by the karma of Sage and the merits of heaven and earth.
Xu Xiao mentioned this so that certain people would know that this is not some nobody with no background who can be easily belittled.
With the karma of the Goddess Nüwa already established, and now the Daoist Sect sect standing by, who will support it and who will oppose it is something that needs careful consideration.
Seeing that all the immortals remained silent, Xu Xiao spoke again:
"As for the so-called position of God of Battle, it was actually a suggestion I made on the spur of the moment."
"Fellow Daoist Sun is born of heaven and earth, and his Daoist arts and supernatural powers have progressed rapidly, especially in Douzhan. However, he has little experience in interpersonal relationships and how to conduct himself in an office."
"I believe that no matter which department in Heavenly Court I am assigned to, I will inevitably cause some unnecessary friction with you all, thus delaying the affairs of Heavenly Court."
"Therefore, I dared to appeal to the Heavenly Emperor, suggesting that rather than causing a conflict later, it would be better to create a new position."
"This position of God of Battle has no official rank or grade, is not under the jurisdiction of any department, and is only responsible for subduing demons and monsters and all matters related to Douzhan, reporting directly to the Great Heavenly Venerable."
"Gentlemen, what do you think?"
After Xu Xiao finished speaking, there was complete silence around him, and no one expressed their opinion for the time being.
Compared to the disrespectful title of the Monkey King, who proclaimed himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the God of Battle, aside from being free and unruly, is essentially just a large-scale henchman.
After all, without an official rank or grade, one cannot enjoy many of the privileges of the Heavenly Court. Moreover, subduing demons and engaging in Douzhan are not pleasant tasks, and most immortals and gods would avoid them at all costs.
After all, cultivation is not easy. Whether it is Douzhan or subduing demons, there are risks involved. Not only can you offend people, but you can also easily perish.
If one becomes an immortal, one is generally immortal, but if one truly dies, it is very likely that both body and soul will perish, and one's physical body and spiritual essence will dissipate.
The Heavenly Court has many top-notch enforcers, and most of the gods are quite supportive of them.
However, some people like it, while others don't.
But then a divine general holding a pagoda stepped forward, looking at Xu Xiao with displeasure:
"According to what the officer on duty said, doesn't that mean the God of Battle will only be able to obey orders from now on, not summons? There are so many Gods of War in the Heavenly Court, what ability does he have to assume the duties of another god? Unless he comes up with a convincing reason, I, Li, am against it."
As the military commander of the Heavenly Court, Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, had no objection to the Monkey King, but he was very unhappy about the addition of a God of Battle position.
He commands the three armies of Heavenly Court, with hundreds of thousands of heavenly soldiers under his command. The heavenly generals are also many capable individuals, not to mention his own god of war— the Third Prince— who obeys his orders.
The addition of another God of Douzhan, especially one from a different race who ascended directly from the lower realm, would completely weaken His military power and influence.
"Yes, Heavenly King Li is right. Fellow Daoist Sun has received such an honor without any merit. We don't even know what abilities he possesses. It's far too hasty."
"You must understand, the God of Douzhan in Heavenly Court is not only a demon slayer, but also a symbol of Heavenly Court's military power. If just anyone could hold a divine position, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals below would likely be dissatisfied."
The speaker had a flushed face and a sword at his waist; he was none other than Mo Liqing, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"We second that proposal, but we urge Your Majesty to consider it carefully!"
The other three Mo brothers also stepped forward, bowing and exerting pressure.
The Four Heavenly Kings came out to oppose it for the same reason as Li Jing: they couldn't stand a monkey with no merit standing above them.
As the saying goes, there is no first place in literature, but there is a second place in martial arts!
They are all Douzhan gods of the Heavenly Court, and everyone is subject to the rule of Heaven and the Investiture of the Investiture of the Gods. The sudden appearance of a colleague who is not bound by these constraints is bound to make people envious.
Of course, due to the legends, the Four Heavenly Kings also had some entanglements with the Western Sect in terms of incense and belief, so they did not want the monkey to join the Heavenly Court so easily.
Seeing the military officers voice their opposition, a God also stepped forward from the civil officials' side.
It turned out to be the Wenqu Star Lord, who was in charge of cultural matters, which was something Xu Xiao hadn't expected.
Wenqu Star Lord is among the Star Lords of the Northern Dipper and a disciple of the Daoist Sect. He has already spoken with the Great Emperor Ziwei and Laojun and received their support. Why is this guy going against the grain again?
But then the Wenqu Star Lord appeared, bowed, and then, holding his jade tablet, spoke:
"I believe that what the Heavenly Kings said is correct. Fellow Daoist Sun ascended to heaven after attaining enlightenment in the mortal realm, yet he has not accomplished anything yet, and this divine position may cause dissatisfaction among the gods. Moreover, the authority of the God of Battle is ambiguous and conflicts with the authority of the Heavenly Court's Celestials Generals, which could easily lead to chaos."
"We would like to request that Xu Zhicao clarify the specific responsibilities of the God of Battle, and then let Fellow Daoist Sun demonstrate his abilities."
"If he is truly extraordinary, we can accept it willingly. If not, then we can only let him start as a minor god according to the heavenly rules."
"Gentlemen, what do you think of what I have said?"
After Wenqu Star Lord finished speaking, he smiled and gave Xu Xiao a look, indicating that he was not there to cause trouble.
Indeed, after His words, the gods shifted their focus to whether the monkey was capable of being the God of Battle God of Battle, rather than whether he should have the position.
Even if the monkey wasn't very capable, according to him, he only started as a minor deity in the Heavenly Court, which still meant he was under the Heavenly Court's command.
Sure enough, this cultured person was quick-witted and instantly filled in the gaps in Xu Xiao's previous statement.
Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, frowned, about to speak, when the Jade Emperor nodded in approval. "Granted."
" Sun Wukong, since everyone wants to see your skills, would you be willing to demonstrate them?"
"Of course, the skills Old Sun, have learned are genuine and beyond question!"
Under the gaze of all the immortals and gods, Sun Wukong stepped forward and stood in front of them.