Volume One, Chapter Seven: Thunder Deity and Lightning Maiden—A Trial from Heaven?

Chen Yan gazed up at the towering, distant mountains. Although he could cover the distance in a few days at his pace, a sense of unease began to stir within him.

His premonition was soon realized. By the third day, halfway to his destination, the weather shifted abruptly. Dark clouds gathered, and lightning flickered ominously. Within the flashes, two silhouettes appeared: one, a burly figure clutching a chisel in his left hand and a hammer in his right; the other, a more slender figure holding a mirror in both hands.

Recognizing them, Chen Yan spoke aloud, "Have you found me so soon? Lord Jiang of Thunder and Lady Xiu of Lightning."

The only response was a bolt of lightning that struck directly in front of him, barring his path.

"Let me handle this," Sun Wukong’s voice echoed in Chen Yan’s mind. Chen Yan shook his head and looked toward the two deities in the sky. "I am the successor to the Human Sovereign. Thunder God, you were once a disciple of Grandmaster Wen. You have witnessed the Human Sovereign’s devotion to all living beings. Why do you serve Heaven? Why do you betray the Human Sovereign with such disloyalty?"

Chen Yan stood still, awaiting a response. The Thunder God offered no explanation, merely poised his ritual tools as if to strike again. At that moment, the Lightning Goddess stirred, and a torrential downpour began, as if issuing a final ultimatum.

Chen Yan gave a slight shake of his head and gestured with his right hand. "As it happens, I have a little brother who is quite adept at playing with lightning. Let him keep you company. Born of a chrysalis, sanctified in the flesh—Lei Zhenzi!"

As he spoke, the energy of his destiny surged from his fingertips, coalescing into a figure with a human body and a beast’s face. Lei Zhenzi wielded a golden staff, within which lightning surged. The very lightning that the deities had summoned was instantly absorbed by the staff. A moment later, bolts of electricity erupted from the golden weapon, illuminating the dark sky as they surged back into the storm clouds.

Two pained cries rang out, and the forms of the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess plummeted from the clouds. Before they could hit the ground, Lei Zhenzi caught them. After a nod of affirmation from Chen Yan, he decapitated the two deities, dissolved into a streak of light, and returned to Chen Yan’s body.

Chen Yan walked forward, looking at the fallen gods and the clearing clouds. "Since you knew the King Zhou’s sacrifice had been completed, why send only two minor deities to stop me? Was this merely to test my strength?"

Chen Yan smiled and shook his head. It was a pity; while Heaven knew of the sacrifice, they did not understand the power it had granted him. Not only had they failed to gauge his true strength, but they had also lost two of their deities. "What a shame," he sighed. "Mere deified spirits like the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess could never be a match for the flesh-sanctified Lei Zhenzi. Had the twenty-four primary deities of the Thunder Department come, I might have had to exert myself, but you sent these two to their deaths."

No sooner had he finished than a massive human face appeared within the lingering clouds, looming over him. It paused, as if examining him, before speaking. "Unfathomable. Truly unfathomable. What did King Zhou sacrifice to trade for such formidable power that you could destroy two of my deities without even lifting a finger?"

The entity looked down at the corpses. "It matters not. Now, there are two fewer mouths to consume the essence of living beings. I do not know what you intend to do, but I shall wait for you. Let us see if you can win that 'glimmer of hope' for your subjects."

"You will pay for your arrogance."

Chen Yan stared at the sky with an innocent expression. The entity let out a low rumble of laughter, the clouds dissipated, and a final message lingered: "I will wait for you!"

The sky returned to a clear, azure expanse. Chen Yan chuckled to himself. "Keep waiting."

After burying the bodies, he resumed his journey. Several days later, he arrived at the mouth of the Guanjiang River. Before he could enter, a stir within his body signaled Sun Wukong, who asked, "Are you here to find him?"

"Yes."

"He will help you? This lapdog of the Heavenly Court, whose mother was so cruelly killed by the Jade Emperor, yet who still serves them—is this the kind of man you expect to help you?"

Chen Yan remained silent and walked forward. Before he could take a single step into the river mouth, a wave of immense, savage energy swept toward him. Countless demons and monsters emerged from the pass. Leading them was the Sky-Howling Hound, who blocked his path and barked, "Why have you come? Do you not know where this place is?"

"I know full well, which is why I have come to humbly ask the True Lord Erlang to save the common people."

"True Lord Erlang? You... are you the Human Sovereign?"

"I am."

Chen Yan bowed slightly. The title "True Lord Erlang" was one Yang Jian had yet to earn. Only two entities could know a title from the future: Heaven, or the Human Sovereign who had summoned them. Given Heaven's arrogance, they would never descend to seek out Erlang; thus, it could only be the Human Sovereign.

Suddenly, the Sky-Howling Hound attacked. Chen Yan, anticipating the move, bent his knees, traced a circle with his feet, and raised his palms in the stance of Taiji. With one fluid motion, he neutralized the attack. When the hound lunged again, three towering figures materialized before it. Chen Yan’s voice followed:

"These are the three brothers of the Eight-Hundred-Mile Lion-Camel Ridge. Surely you have heard of them? I suggest you do not act rashly."

The Sky-Howling Hound gazed at the Green Lion, the White Elephant, and the Great Peng with growing dread. The world knew the Lion-Camel Ridge as a place of carnage, but few knew that ninety percent of the corpses were fallen celestial gods. Because of the brothers' immense power and Heaven's habit of hoarding energy while suppressing minor deities, the heavens ignored them. In fact, when gods fought over energy distribution, they would often cast the defeated party into Lion-Camel Ridge to be slaughtered by the brothers. Later generations had merely misinterpreted these divine remains as human corpses.

The Sky-Howling Hound bared its fangs at the three brothers and snarled at Chen Yan, "Are you not afraid that the demons behind me will attack you?"

Chen Yan shook his head and gestured behind him. The swarming demons instantly vanished. "Those were merely your illusions. If I were to fall for a petty trick like yours, how could I ever hope to challenge the Heavenly Court?"

Seeing that the three brothers had intimidated the hound, Chen Yan exhaled, relieved. He had been unsure of the hound's true strength and had gambled by summoning the brothers immediately. It seemed the bet had paid off. He turned toward the interior of the river mouth and called out:

"Is it time for you to come out and meet me, Yang Jian?"