Chapter 187 - 182: Great Emperor Qinghua Attacks_2
Ziwei Great Emperor said, "Emperor Qinghua and I arrived a step too late. By the time we reached the South Sea, the Demon Monkey had already escaped. The Three Xi’ao, Emperor Gou Chen, the Thunder Department deities, one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, and the True Lord Erlang Yang Jian, were all slaughtered."
The Jade Emperor’s heart tightened, and he said, "What about Emperor Qinghua?"
Ziwei Great Emperor then said, "I told him the matter was of great importance, and we should return to the Heavenly Court to report to the Jade Emperor. However, Emperor Qinghua did not take the Demon Monkey seriously, saying that he wanted to go to Water Curtain Cave and kill him to avenge the Heavenly Court. I didn’t dare make decisions rashly and had to return to the palace to report to the Jade Emperor."
After pondering for a moment, the Jade Emperor said, "Emperor Qinghua going alone to Water Curtain Cave may end in loss. Send the order down; True Martial Emperor, Longevity Emperor, and you, Ziwei Great Emperor of the Central Palace, must lead your respective troops to support Emperor Qinghua at Water Curtain Cave. If there is any unexpected situation, act accordingly."
Ziwei Great Emperor received the Jade Emperor’s decree and left to invite the Longevity Emperor and the True Martial Emperor.
The Longevity Emperor of the South Pole is the Southern Celestial Worthy, also known as the Star Lord of Longevity. The True Martial Emperor from the Northern Pole is a figure from ancient times, who had become an immortal during the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. When the Heavenly Court was rebuilt during the Middle Ages, he was conferred by the Jade Emperor as the True Lord Xuan Wu. After preaching at Mount Wudang, where the incense offerings flourished, and repeatedly quelling the upheavals in the Demon Abyss of the Northern Region, he gained favor from the Lord of Primordial Beginning and was then bestowed by the Jade Emperor the title of True Martial Emperor who Subdues Demons of the Northern Pole.
"The Jade Emperor has tasked us with descending to recruit Lv Dongbin. What do you think?" Ziwei Great Emperor said.
The True Martial Emperor, as one of the oldest and most revered emperors in the Heavenly Court, is held in high esteem by the Taoist Sect, second only to the Three Pure Ones. Ziwei Great Emperor himself greatly respected him.
True Martial Emperor said, "Lv Dongbin is too arrogant; he cannot escape his fate of ascending the Deification Platform. However, his destiny is not yet complete. Since the Jade Emperor has given his order, we three should commit our full effort. But let’s not slay those of Water Curtain Cave, to avoid entangling ourselves in karma with Sun Wukong. Otherwise, when he comes to overturn the Heavenly Court, you and I can ascend the Deification Platform, but you will be utterly destroyed."
Ziwei Great Emperor nodded slightly and said, "Good, thank you for the reminder, True Martial Emperor. I shall take heed!"
The Longevity Emperor, a disciple of the Lord of Primordial Beginning, felt intense dissatisfaction toward the Jade Emperor who sought to splinter the authority, provoking the Three Pure Ones, resulting in their current hands-off attitude towards the Heavenly Court. Thus, he, along with the True Martial and Ziwei Emperors, harbored a desire to overthrow the Heavenly Court. Even when the Jade Emperor was previously weak, Ziwei Great Emperor, having ascended the Investiture of the Gods, constrained by the divine laws, had never acted.
The three great emperors each returned to their respective domains, summoned their soldiers and generals, and embarked on the campaign, heading towards Southern Ridge Demon Mountain.