Wouldn't that be like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others?
The moment the Jade Emperor conceived this thought, countless blades began to slash at his body with madness and ruthlessness, causing the dull ache in many parts of his body to turn into a sharp pain.
This feeling is so real, just like being in real life.
In an instant, countless tears appeared on the Jade Emperor's dragon robe, revealing blood-red knife marks within, from which blood slowly seeped out. This caused the Jade Emperor's expression to change, and he began to truly look at the mysterious man in white. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but in the end, he had no choice but to give up.
Who exactly are you?
Although the Jade Emperor was able to maintain a calm demeanor, his heart was filled with turmoil.
The man in white possesses such formidable cultivation and strength; he must be no ordinary nobody.
Strangely, even after searching through his entire life's memories, he couldn't find out who the mysterious person in white was.
"I said, I am the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao of all heavens and myriad realms!"
Zhang Yun was filled with boundless majesty, and a heavenly might descended with him, as if he represented the heavens themselves, the heavens of all the myriad realms!
"You don't belong to this world?"
The Jade Emperor was suddenly jolted. To sit in the position of the Great Emperor, the amount of information he controlled was beyond what ordinary gods and immortals could compare to.
He had long known that besides his third sister, there were other heavens beyond heavens, or rather, independent worlds beyond the three realms, and there was more than one.
What is the purpose of such powerful extraterrestrials descending upon the Heavenly Court today?
If a being of such high cultivation level as the man in white were to harbor malicious intentions, wouldn't that bring danger to the Three Realms?
Upon realizing this, the Jade Emperor felt a pang of regret.
I regret underestimating the enemy; otherwise, things wouldn't have escalated to this terrible state.
"Don't worry, I have no ill intentions toward the Three Realms."
A faint smile slowly appeared on Zhang Yun's lips: "As long as you agree to one condition, I can let you out and heal all your injuries. In the eyes of all the immortals and gods, you will still be the Jade Emperor, high and mighty. Everything here can be treated as if it never happened."
"Give me a reason to believe you." The Jade Emperor's posture remained firm, but whether intentionally or unintentionally, he changed his self-reference from "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the imperial emperor") to "我" (wo, meaning "I"), clearly indicating that he was at least speaking to the mysterious man in white as an equal.
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Chapter 144 The Arrogant Jade Emperor
Do you think you have the right to negotiate with me right now?
"You only have two choices now: either agree to my terms or die here."
Zhang Yun remained calm, flicking his sleeves lightly. His eyes held a hint of disdain as he looked at the Jade Emperor, as if the Jade Emperor, who ruled the Three Realms, was insignificant in his eyes.
"Are you threatening me?" The Jade Emperor frowned slightly, his expression not very good: "In thousands of years, you are the first person who has dared to threaten me like this."
"So what?"
As he spoke, Zhang Yun took a steady step forward, and the will of Heaven erupted from his mind and body, pressing down on the Jade Emperor. It made it difficult for him to breathe, and even his back was about to be bent under the pressure.
This was absolute suppression, so much so that even celestial beings like the Jade Emperor gradually lost their temper.
"Alright, as long as it's not detrimental to the Heavenly Realm, I can agree to anything you ask."
The Jade Emperor took a deep breath and finally gave in.
Because he knew that when faced with a powerful enemy like the man in white, he had no choice but to agree.
"I can only reveal part of my plan to you."
Zhang Yun smiled and said, "You just need to do your part well."
After being reminded, Zhang Yun revealed the matter of the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures to the Jade Emperor, asking him to cooperate in the journey.
"Should the most prosperous and flourishing nation in humankind travel to the West to retrieve Buddhist scriptures?"
Upon learning of Zhang Yun's plan, the Jade Emperor's eyes flickered slightly.
It's important to understand that sitting on the Heavenly Emperor's throne isn't just a simple matter of sitting there. Not only does he have to handle political affairs every day, but he also has to balance the power of various factions in the Three Realms, which is of paramount importance.
If the Buddhist forces in the Western Paradise are allowed to develop and grow stronger, it will cause trouble for maintaining balance in the Three Realms.
This is also why the Jade Emperor has not allowed the Western Paradise to grow larger over the years.
"As for the balance of power among the various factions in the Three Realms, that's your responsibility, I can't interfere."
Seemingly sensing the Jade Emperor's concerns, Zhang Yun slowly said, "Besides, it's just a pilgrimage to the West, at most it's just spreading Buddhist ideas. You've reached this position today, so you must have the ability to solve this kind of trouble."
"Alright, I promise you." Taking a deep breath, the Jade Emperor finally agreed.
Zhang Yun was right. Although this matter was troublesome, it was not without a solution.
"Very well, I hope that Your Majesty, with your golden words, will not disappoint me."
With the matter concerning the Jade Emperor resolved, Zhang Yun felt much more at ease. He then waved his sleeve, and the dream space vanished instantly.
He and the Jade Emperor returned to the Lingxiao Palace unharmed.
At this moment, Zhang Yun, dressed in flowing white robes, stood in the center of the Lingxiao Palace, while the Jade Emperor remained seated on his throne.
Zhang Yun kept his word. The Jade Emperor, who was originally covered in wounds, had all his wounds disappear. It was as if the events in the dream space had never happened.
As for the immortals and gods in the hall, the white-robed man and the Jade Emperor had only exchanged glances for a short while, so they naturally had no idea what kind of suffering the Jade Emperor had just gone through. The Jade Emperor was still the same Jade Emperor.
He slowly exhaled, demonstrating the Jade Emperor's excellent mental fortitude despite being on the throne.