The Heavenly soldiers guarding the Gate of the Southern Heavens wanted to stop him, but in the face of the formidable Eastern King, their efforts were as futile as tickling.

The Four Heavenly Kings, who were supposed to guard the gate, had vanished without a trace.

In fact, many people had guessed the reason: although the Four Heavenly Kings were a force to be reckoned with, they too had once received favors from the Eastern King.

Of course, it wasn’t just them, many of the immortals in the Heavenly Court had been favored as well. Because of this, many were reluctant to take action out of consideration for past kindness, and of course, there were also some who harbored ill intentions, deliberately waiting to see the Jade Emperor made a fool of.

It was because of these reasons that a strange phenomenon had occurred in the Heavenly Court: despite the Eastern King having already stormed in, hardly any immortals came out to stop him, and only a few scattered Heavenly Soldiers and Generals attempted to intervene to no effect.

The Jade Emperor sat on his throne, coldly watching everything with a sneer, seeing through it all as if watching a blazing fire.

He knew all too well the little crafty thoughts in the hearts of the immortals of the Heavenly Court, but he simply couldn’t be bothered to deal with them.

Many people had received favors from the Eastern King, a fact that was well-known to all; had someone actually made a move against the Eastern King, it would have been a surprise to the Jade Emperor.

As for those harboring ulterior motives, the Jade Emperor had already made plans, but the right moment had not yet arrived to take action.

Thus, partly due to the indulgence of these people, the Eastern King made his way unabated to the exterior of the Lingxiao Treasured Palace.

Official Wang Ling, dressed in Golden Armor and wielding a Steel Whip, stood at the entrance of the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, a complex expression crossing his face as he looked at the approaching Eastern King and said sternly, "This is a sacred place of the Heavenly Court. Leave immediately!"

The Eastern King glanced at him and chuckled, "So it’s Official Wang Ling. Time really does have great power, to think you’ve risen to such a position." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Back in the day when he had still been in the Heavenly Court, Official Wang Ling was just a young upstart whom he had personally promoted.

"Your Majesty, since you have already been defeated, you should have hidden yourself away from the world. Why stir up these muddy waters?" Official Wang Ling spoke with complexity, but his words were filled with great respect for the Eastern King.

He was a man who valued favors and loyalty; the Eastern King had once been kind to him, so naturally he did not wish to speak harshly in confrontation, but his duty prevented him from ignoring the Eastern King’s intrusion into the Heavenly Court the way other immortals did.

"Who would have thought that the youth of those years would grow to this extent!" the Eastern King sighed, not the least bit angered by Official Wang Ling’s obstruction.

"Back then, the Jade Emperor won without honor, and naturally, I have my grievances. Step aside, let us settle our old scores."

However, Official Wang Ling shook his head firmly and said, "Your Majesty, duty binds me, and as long as I stand here today, you shall not take a single step into the Lingxiao Treasured Palace."

"Very well, if that’s how it is, I won’t hold back," the Eastern King replied.

No sooner had he finished speaking than he swept his sleeve lightly, sending the purple aura swirling around him surging forward. Official Wang Ling quickly drew out his Steel Whip to block but was sent reeling back several steps by a tremendous force.

"Your Majesty’s power has grown stronger," Official Wang Ling said, not without a hint of regret.

Back in his younger years, this Eastern King had been at the height of his glory, renowned throughout the Three Realms for his strength. There was a time when the Eastern King was nothing more than someone he looked up to from afar, but now, meeting him in battle, it was clear that the Eastern King’s power had increased. To him, the shift was world-shaking; he himself, once without even the qualifications to be a rival, could now exchange blows, feeling an indescribable sense of achievement swelling within.

But the Eastern King did not give Official Wang Ling much time to reflect. One spell after another was cast from his hands, and the powerful force made Official Wang Ling retreat continuously.

Although disheveled, this Heavenly Court official still managed to desperately hold on, which made Eastern King look at him with new respect.

He nodded and said, "To have withstood so many moves against me, you will surely have a place among the strong in the Three Realms in the future."

Official Wang Ling wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. After just a few rounds of exchange, he was already covered in wounds, while Eastern King seemed as if he had merely warmed up, still looking as calm and composed as before.

The gap in strength between the two was thus crystal clear, and even if Wang Ling staked his life, he couldn’t stop Eastern King.

Looking at the still struggling Wang Ling, Eastern King said indifferently, "Stop struggling, you cannot stop me."

"Aren’t you going to make a move? Or are you willing to watch him die in front of me?"

Naturally, Eastern King’s words were not directed at Wang Ling but toward the Jade Emperor in the grand hall.

Only the Jade Emperor could make the loyal and dutiful Wang Ling step back.

"Official Wang Ling, stand down. That is my command," came the voice of the Jade Emperor, ringing through the Lingxiao Treasured Palace.

The Jade Emperor held Wang Ling in high esteem as a loyal official and saw great potential in him to become a significant support in the future; he did not wish to see him fall here.

Wang Ling respectfully knelt down and replied, "Your subordinate obeys the command!"

He gave Eastern King a final look before slowly withdrawing.

Eastern King smiled and stepped into the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, seeing the Jade Emperor seated on the Heavenly Throne, feeling a wave of emotion.

Back in the day, he too had looked down from his high position at the fledgling Jade Emperor; little did he think that times would change and their roles would be reversed.

"Jade Emperor, it’s been many years!" Eastern King said with a smile, his demeanor friendly as if old friends were reuniting after a long separation, with no sign of hostility or tension.

"You have been hiding from me all this time," the Jade Emperor replied flatly, propping his head with one hand, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy.

His words held truth, for all these years the Jade Emperor had never ceased to seek out his once-rival, but alas, Yingzhou Island was too well-hidden, and he had not managed to find it.

Upon hearing this, Eastern King also sighed and said, "Yes, it was I who have been hiding from you, for I feared that meeting you would mean that only one of us would leave alive."

This was a contest of the Great Dao, where both walked a similar path and to advance further required exclusive dominion over that path, thus dooming one to perish.

Both the Jade Emperor and Eastern King understood this all too well. The Demon Emperor had once walked a similar path, which is why she had come into sharp conflict with the Jade Emperor.

But now that Feng Jiu had gained control of the Demon Realm, she was no longer fixated on that Great Dao, thereby making Eastern King’s threat even greater.

"Since that is the case, let us today resolve this eons-long karma and see who is truly the most suited to walk this path," the Jade Emperor said softly.

Upon finishing these words, he slowly rose from the Heavenly Throne, his usual placid gaze now burning with a flame upon his eyes.

With a gentle stretch of his hand, a Treasured Sword flew toward him from behind the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, originating from the Jade Pool.