Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 276: The Great Plan In the Ziwei Palace, Ziwei and Zhenwu sat facing each other, each holding a scroll. These two jade scrolls were naturally sent by the Jade Emperor, and aside from their titles, their contents were identical. The matter of unifying the heavens was no trivial affair; even Ziwei and Zhenwu found it hard to remain calm. Zhenwu said, “It’s a divine opportunity.” Ziwei pondered and said, “The plan to unify the heavens is just in its infancy. I assume the Three Pure Ones, Gouchen, and others must have received similar jade scrolls as well. If the Jade Emperor isn’t completely foolish, he will surely wait to see everyone’s reactions before making a decision. To call it an opportunity is still premature.” Zhenwu replied, “From what I know about the Jade Emperor, once the jade scrolls have been sent, unifying the heavens becomes inevitable. He’s always been stubborn and inflexible—how many reckless and foolish acts has he not committed because of that?” Ziwei said, “Well, since you put it that way, I won’t argue with you. I just want to ask you: if he really decides to unify the heavens, what would you do?” Zhenwu asked, “Brother Ziwei, are you testing me?” Ziwei smiled and said, “How could that be? What we’re planning today is something that could turn the world upside down. If we don’t consider everything carefully…” Zhenwu said, “Good! It can’t hurt to be thorough. The current Jade Emperor acts in a chaotic manner, ignoring the welfare of the people, and has lost public support. Everyone in the heavenly court is merely pretending to cooperate—how many are truly willing to die for him? Let me list them for you!” “Among the Six Imperial Sovereigns, the Southern Pole Emperor of Eternal Life is insignificant; treating him as more than just an observer is already a compliment. The Eastern Pole Emperor of Azure Glory is severely injured and barely functional. Only the Western Pole Emperor of Gouchen still has the strength to fight. He’s always obedient to the Jade Emperor, which is quite troublesome.” “The thirty-six palaces in heaven each have their own allies. In terms of strength, the Ziwei Palace and the Yingyuan Mansion are undoubtedly the two strongest. The Ziwei Palace has the Left and Right Assistants, the Nine Bright Stars, the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, not to mention its numerous star generals. They can barely match the 108 Thunder Generals of the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Thunder God Mansion. As for my Ziexiao Palace, we’re not to be underestimated either—we can easily surpass them.” “The other immortal officials and heavenly generals all have their own agendas. If not for dividing them into factions, they might split evenly. When the time comes, if I raise my voice, soldiers from all corners of the world will rise up, and every dragon and serpent in the land will respond. Just the momentum alone will be enough to intimidate people.” Ziwei said, “Planting a pawn at that time will indeed prove very useful.” Zhenwu replied, “It wasn’t me who planted that pawn. It was the Queen Mother’s tyranny, which destroyed the Northern Sea serpent clan. She surely never imagined that the sea serpents could muster such strength. Last year, she single-handedly fought against 100,000 heavenly soldiers—even I had to reevaluate her.” Ziwei said, “Compared to you, I’ve worked in vain.”

Zhenwu chuckled and said, “Not at all. Since the Nine Spirits’ Supreme Sage has honored you as his teacher, he will naturally lend his full support. Although his biological father, the Qilin, has returned unexpectedly, it’s not entirely a bad thing.”

Ziwei said, “What you mentioned earlier overlooked two places.”

Zhenwu replied, “I haven’t finished yet. The two places you’re referring to are probably the Sacred Jade Pool and the Ten Continents and Three Islands.”

Ziwei nodded. “Exactly!”

Zhenwu continued, “Although there aren’t many formidable figures among the Ten Continents and Three Islands, they do have the advantage of a large number of people. In my opinion, most of them seek immortality rather than battle, so they’re essentially scattered. Only on Fangzhang Immortal Island are there a few who remain loyal to the Queen Mother. The Kunlun Immortal Island and the Sacred Jade Pool are actually one and the same. The Queen Mother of the Sacred Jade Pool is extremely inscrutable. Her Peach Garden has won over countless celestial and earthly immortals, and with a few ancient monsters that rarely appear, she’s truly a formidable opponent.”

“But I’ve already made arrangements with the Qilin. He’s 70% confident in being able to draw together the ancient figures from Qitian Ridge to hold back the Sacred Jade Pool and even force all the beasts in the world to migrate to the Ten Continents. By then, I fear the Queen Mother will have to think carefully before taking even the slightest action.”

Ziwei exclaimed in delight, “You really convinced the Qilin?”

Zhenwu said, “Though I’m not very familiar with the Qilin, we’ve had a spiritual connection for a long time and understand each other’s characters well, so no words are needed. We became close friends with just a few words exchanged, but of course, for him to take action, there are conditions.”

Ziwei quickly asked, “What conditions?”

Zhenwu replied, “The Qilin loves freedom above all and doesn’t pursue fame or wealth. He only harbors resentment over being driven to the three realms by the Phoenix and Xiangliu back in the day. If he helps me succeed, I promise to capture the Phoenix and Xiangliu for him. It’s not really a condition, but rather a shared sense of vengeance. Even if he doesn’t say anything, I won’t let those two monsters go. In comparison, I gain a huge advantage.”

Ziwei said, “Since you’ve already planned everything, you must have considered many details. As an outsider, I’m not qualified to offer advice on tactics.”

Zhenwu smiled and said, “Not at all. You should know me—though I have great ambitions, I’m still just a bold man. These plans weren’t my own idea; they were devised together by me and my thirty-six marshals.”

Ziwei’s body trembled slightly as he raised his thumb in approval. “It’s a fortune for the world that Zhenwu is willing to seek advice!” Ziwei knew that among Zhenwu’s thirty-six heavenly generals were many skilled warriors. What was most remarkable was that these generals were utterly loyal to Zhenwu and followed his lead without question. The Purple Sky Palace was a territory in the heavenly court that no water could penetrate.

Ziwei said, “Heavenly Emperor Xuantian, all of these are necessary preparations. But there are also a few variables I must mention.”

Zhenwu said, “A few variables? I’ve thought about it too, but it’s shrouded in mist and clouds, so it’s not clear.”
Ziwei replied, “The same goes for me. We just do our best and leave the rest to fate.”
Zhenwu concentrated deeply, realizing that the variables Ziwei mentioned must be crucial for him to overthrow the current regime. After a brief pause, Ziwei said, “The first variable is Qitianling.”
Zhenwu was greatly surprised. In his view, since the Qilin had given its promise, Qitianling should be trouble-free—so how could it become a variable? Ziwei’s first words already shocked him.
Ziwei continued, “You seem quite familiar with the hierarchy of power in the Heavenly Court. Though it’s slightly biased, it’s generally accurate. The force of the Jade Pool is undoubtedly the most mysterious and powerful in the Heavenly Court. Without the help of Qitianling, it’s hard to contain them. Though this plan seems sound, its importance means there can be no room for mistakes.”
“You say the Qilin is 70% confident in getting the ancient figures from Qitianling to fight. In my opinion, 70% isn’t enough—120% is necessary!”
Zhenwu nodded in agreement. “That’s true. If anything goes wrong, there will be imbalance. Many in the Heavenly Court are opportunists; they’ll side with whichever side seems stronger. This is an eternal truth that can’t be changed. But how can I force the Qilin to do this? Even it probably isn’t 100% confident.”
Ziwei smiled and asked, “Do you consider the Qilin to be the master of Qitianling?”
Zhenwu replied, “That’s puzzling too. The people of Qitianling are united. Since ancient times, no other group of demons has matched their strength. The Qilin has the highest cultivation and the highest status. Its eldest son, Jiuling Yuansheng, was once the leader of the Eight Saints. Even if he isn’t the master, he’s almost like one. But after meeting the Qilin, I felt its decisiveness was somewhat lacking. It seems to need to consult others before making decisions, as if it holds a position akin to an elder or guest in Qitianling.”
Ziwei said, “That’s exactly it. Qitianling may seem leaderless, but in reality, its unity is greater than anywhere else. In this regard, not even the Spiritual Mountain in the Western Heaven can compare.”
Realizing Ziwei must know the ins and outs, Zhenwu asked, “Then tell me, why is that?”
Ziwei replied, “Qitianling certainly has a master. You know this person too—why do you still ask me?”
After thinking for a moment, Zhenwu suddenly realized and said, “I know! It must be that person!”
Ziwei asked, “Who?”
Zhenwu replied, “Back then, Chisongzi brought rain without permission, and the heavenly troops attacked Qitianling. You were there to witness that battle. There was a man who claimed to be the ancient Emperor Zhuanxu. Do you still remember him?”
Ziwei nodded. “Of course I remember.”

Zhenwu said, “Judging from his tone and expression when talking to the qilin, it seems he’s the one in charge.”
Ziwei replied, “From his bearing and demeanor, he’s clearly someone who can take responsibility. But since he’s the Emperor Zhuanxu, such behavior is expected. The ruler of Qitianling I mentioned isn’t him.”
Zhenwu thought for a while before asking tentatively, “Could it be… Dayu?”
Ziwei shook his head and said, “You keep thinking only within Qitianling. I guess the person in question is—Sun Wukong.”
Zhenwu was shocked, “You overestimate him too much!”
Ziwei said, “It’s not that I overestimate him; it’s you who underestimate him.”
Zhenwu said, “Fine, then give me some reasons. If what you say is correct, I’ll admit defeat!”
Ziwei said, “Neither of us knows much about him, but I’m calm, so I can think more deeply. As soon as the Spiritual Monkey was born, he established his base on Flower-Fruit Mountain, gathered all the demons under his rule, and united the Eight Saints to resist the Heavenly Court. Those seven were all mighty demons who refused to obey anyone except him. What do you think of that?”
Zhenwu asked, “What of it? Didn’t he end up defeated?”
Ziwei replied, “I know he was defeated, but it was a strange kind of defeat. Although Flower-Fruit Mountain was lost, Sun Wukong had already made arrangements—he moved the demons there to live temporarily with Erlang Shen at Guanjiangkou. Each of the Eight Saints had a place to go, and their strength was hardly diminished at all.”
“He took the Bull Demon King and the Golden-Winged Roc with him to attack the Heavenly Court. At a critical moment, he sacrificed himself to break through Buddha’s barrier, only to be captured by the Three Pure Ones. He then entered the three realms and brought ancient gods out to break through the barriers again. What do you think of that?”
Zhenwu shook his head. “I don’t believe he could plan this far ahead.”
Ziwei said, “It’s not planning—it’s fate. If he has such fate, what need does he have for planning?”
Zhenwu asked, “Are you saying that Sun Wukong, with the power of ancient gods, re-established his base in Qitianling, moved the demons from Guanjiangkou there, and brought the Eight Saints back together—all thanks to him alone?”
Ziwei replied, “It’s just a guess. This possibility is higher.”
Zhenwu said, “If he’s that powerful, why was he suppressed by Buddha on the Five-Element Mountain for decades? If he could control ancient gods, why would he go to the Western Heaven to seek the Buddha’s golden body?”
Ziwei shook his head. “That’s something I don’t know. He’s the Spiritual Monkey. Buddha is eager to get his hands on him, wanting to use him to control the fate of the world. Maybe he used some hidden tactics to coerce Sun Wukong.”
Zhenwu said, “If he was coerced, why wouldn’t he seek help from Qitianling? Back then, the people of Qitianling almost invaded the Great Hero Hall, yet Buddha still tolerated them.”
Ziwei still shook his head. “It was a trivial battle. Do you think Buddha would go to such lengths?”

Zhenwu said, “In any case, the idea that Sun Wukong is the ruler of Qitianling makes no sense at all!”
Ziwei replied, “I’m not trying to prove that Sun Wukong is the ruler of Qitianling. Instead, I want to find out who can be the ruler so that we can decide whether to send troops from Qitianling to help you. In this world, it’s not the lack of solutions that’s worrying; it’s the inability to identify the root cause!”