Volume One, Chapter Nine: The Tale of Yang Jian

Amidst the swirling clouds of the Thirty-Third Heaven stood a magnificent palace. Yet, the Hall of Divine Radiance, which should have been gleaming with eternal brilliance, now lay in ruins.

Within, nine massive golden figures lay sprawled across the cold floor, their golden blood staining the grand hall. Deep inside, a towering figure stood before the Jade Emperor, his hand locked tightly around the throat of the final Golden Crow.

"Jade Emperor, I never wished to be your enemy. Why did you force my hand?"

The Jade Emperor gripped the Heaven-Splitting Axe, yet he dared not move, for the one in Yang Jian’s grasp was his last child. As the successor to the power of Pangu, he should have been more than a match for Yang Jian. He had never expected the latter’s speed to be so ferocious; in just a few days, Yang Jian had fought his way to the Thirty-Third Heaven, slaying nine of the ten Golden Crows sent to intercept him.

But that was only one reason. The Jade Emperor stood motionless, his eyes cold as he looked at Yang Jian. "Release the little Golden Crow, and I will grant you and your mother a way out. Do not force me further."

Yang Jian’s eyes were bloodshot and filled with mockery. He snarled, "Do you think I would still believe your lies? Was this not the same trick you played when Tian Shui and my mother returned? They returned only to be slaughtered or imprisoned. Did you grant the living creatures of Tian Shui a way out then? Did you give my mother a chance?!"

Yang Jian’s voice grew more agitated, his expression turning increasingly vicious. He hoisted the little Golden Crow into the air and sneered, "This Heaven forbids us from having mortal desires, yet why is it that you, my dear uncle, have these children? What say you to that?"

A cryptic smile touched Yang Jian’s face. The Jade Emperor was left speechless. It was true that the ten Golden Crows were his children, and it was true that he had set the laws. For the architect of the rules to be the first to break them was a source of great shame.

Looking at the borderline-manic Yang Jian, the Jade Emperor sighed deeply and gazed toward the sky above the Thirty-Third Heaven. "Nephew, you do not understand. You truly do not understand. We are merely pawns..."

Before he could finish, the sounds of battle erupted outside the Hall, followed by shouts. Leading the charge was Nezha, wielding his Fire-tipped Spear and riding his Wind-Fire Wheels, followed by Li Jing and the six brothers of Mount Meishan.

Nezha looked at the Jade Emperor with curiosity. "This is the Jade Emperor? Isn't he just an old man who looks quite healthy? Second Brother, are you sure it’s him?"

Yang Jian nodded, tightening his grip on the Golden Crow. "I give you three counts to release my mother."

"1. Nephew, you don't understand, you don't understand at all. I am not Heaven! I am not Heaven! I had no choice, I..."

"2." The Jade Emperor’s face was filled with anguish, as if there were truly a power above him far greater than his own.

"3!"

As Yang Jian reached three, his grip intensified. The little Golden Crow let out a hoarse wail.

"Stop! Stop!" The Jade Emperor gasped, veins bulging and sweat dripping onto the floor, but his face held a look of relief. "I will return your mother to you."

With a flick of his left hand, a golden portal appeared. He reached inside and dragged out a figure. It was Yang Jian’s mother, Yunhua.

At the sight of her, Yang Jian’s fierce expression melted into tears. Without checking her condition, he released the Golden Crow and lunged toward her. The Golden Crow took the opportunity to scramble behind the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor kept his word, releasing her. But as Yang Jian reached for Yunhua, a cold, deathly touch emanated from her. He activated his Celestial Eye, his face contorting in fury. "Where is my mother’s soul? Where is it?!"

He glared at the Jade Emperor and swung his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive, aiming directly at him. The Emperor merely raised the Heaven-Splitting Axe, parrying the blow with effortless ease.

The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned. They knew the Jade Emperor was powerful, but they had not expected such a massive gap in strength between him and the god-like Yang Jian.

Nezha was the first to react. He cast his Armillary Sash, scooping up both Yang Jian and Yunhua, and, with his Wind-Fire Wheels spinning, fled the Thirty-Third Heaven in an instant. Li Jing and the brothers followed.

The Jade Emperor did not pursue. Instead, he watched their departure with a cold, detached gaze before his voice echoed throughout the entire Thirty-Third Heaven.

"Your mother’s soul is in the Thirty-Fourth Heaven. If you do not want anything to happen to her, submit to me."

As he spoke, a massive projection filled the sky of the Thirty-Fourth Heaven. Within the image, Yunhua—already tortured by the scorching light of the ten Golden Crows—looked even more ethereal. Around her soul, golden spiritual energy was being stripped away, thread by thread. With every extraction, her form grew fainter, and her cries of agony echoed out.

"This is... the Thirty-Fourth Heaven?!" Yang Jian stared in disbelief. In his memory, the highest realm was the Thirty-Third Heaven. He had never imagined there was a level beyond.

Seeing his mother’s suffering, Yang Jian tore free from the Armillary Sash and roared, "What is it that you want from us?!"

The Jade Emperor looked at Yang Jian, then at the terrified Golden Crow behind him, a flicker of hidden pain crossing his face. "Yang Jian, I treat you as the son of our heavenly maiden. I give you one chance: submit to the Heavenly Court, or your mother’s soul will be scattered to the winds!"

Yang Jian’s eyes widened in rage. Golden light erupted from his Celestial Eye, and his aura surged to an unprecedented height. He lunged forward, appearing before the Emperor in a heartbeat.

The Emperor remained unmoved, not even bothering to raise his axe. Yang Jian swung his glaive at the Emperor’s head, but just as it was about to strike, an invisible barrier stopped the blade inches away.

Nezha, watching from behind, felt a chill. It was not the Emperor’s power that shocked him, but the clear realization that this barrier did not belong to the Jade Emperor at all.

Those present realized the gravity of the situation. Yang Jian struck the barrier hundreds of times in a heartbeat, yet it remained unbroken.

Suddenly, a voice of overwhelming pressure descended from above. Everyone fell to their knees involuntarily; even the powerful Jade Emperor lasted only a moment before collapsing to the ground.

"Yang Jian, I hope you understand your uncle’s good intentions. Submit to the Heavenly Court, and your mother shall be spared this pain."

The voice was calm and indifferent. Yet, it shattered Yang Jian’s spirit. He struggled to lift his head, crying out in despair to the heavens:

"Spare my mother! I, Yang Jian, submit to the Heavenly Court!"

As he spoke, a golden light enveloped him. He felt his own spiritual essence being slowly, imperceptibly drained away. Looking up at his mother in the sky, the agonizing extraction finally ceased.

In that moment, he finally understood the true nature of the Heavenly Court.