The Jade Emperor was well aware that there were far too many in the Three Realms who did not wish to see him take this step, and they would surely resort to any means possible to stop him.

Before, with no one leading the charge, naturally no one would step out. But now, with a powerful being like Maitreya Buddha Ancestor taking the lead, they were naturally eager to move.

At this thought, the Jade Emperor couldn’t help but sigh. He had wasted too much time; had he been able to act swiftly and decisively, killing the Eastern King before they could react, there wouldn’t be so much trouble.

Luckily, he was strong-minded and quickly moved on from this feeling of annoyance, beginning to consider his own strategies instead.

It seemed now that the idea of killing the Eastern King had become a pipe dream. Maitreya had made it clear he would not allow the Jade Emperor to take this step.

With others looking on greedily, it could be said that the time for him to take this step had not yet come. Although there was some regret, the Jade Emperor had already accepted this reality.

The Great Dao is hard to come by, and everyone who wishes to occupy it faces such situations. Not everyone is like the Three Pure Ones, born with a Great Dao to their name.

"It’s fine to let him live, but I want the Divine Fusang Tree," the Jade Emperor said coldly.

The Eastern King glanced at the Jade Emperor but said nothing. He knew that, at this point, he had already been defeated, and the loser had no right to negotiate terms.

"Benefactor, what do you think?" Maitreya asked kindly.

However, the Eastern King was well aware that he had no choice. The Buddhist Sect had intervened only to slow down the Jade Emperor’s ascent to the Great Dao; the Fusang Tree was not part of that arrangement.

Although he desperately wanted to save the Divine Fusang Tree, he was powerless to do so. A bitter smile lifted the corners of his mouth, and he aged visibly.

"Spare the lives of those on Yingzhou Island, and I will give you the Fusang Tree," the Eastern King said with a sigh.

"Agreed," the Jade Emperor nodded lightly.

With that, the two sides reached an understanding. Maitreya also heaved a silent sigh of relief. Although he was prepared for a confrontation, coercing submission without battle was the best outcome.

"Amitabha, how excellent, how excellent!" Maitreya chanted in a low voice, his expression compassionate and kind.

The great battle thus came to an end, much to the disappointment of many who had looked forward to the spectacle, hoping to witness the fall of a powerful being.

Feng Jiu looked up at the sky, watching the crown that had grown more solid once again become illusionary and eventually vanish without a trace. A smile spread across her face as she said gleefully, "Haha, the Jade Emperor couldn’t make the step. I knew the people from the Buddhist Sect wouldn’t just stand by and watch."

At this moment, she felt completely content, as if she had just enjoyed a sumptuous feast.

Understanding Feng Jiu’s thoughts, the Demon Master stroked his beard and said with a smile, "The Jade Emperor’s path to the Great Dao is too domineering, all Dao bowing down to him, with only he himself revered. The powerful beings of the Three Realms do not wish to see him occupy this path. However, after this battle, the Jade Emperor has gained the upper hand, and what remains is but a matter of grinding away."

Given enough time, the Jade Emperor would be able to fully possess this Great Dao, but that requires time. It is uncertain if, during this period, someone else might occupy another Great Dao. Then it would not be easy for the Jade Emperor to stand alone above all.

After all, only when the path of the Heavenly Emperor is unique can one seize the opportunity to suppress the other paths.

Missing the opportunity would mean never being able to make the other paths submit.

But regardless, ever since the Three Pure Ones and Buddha transcended, the Jade Emperor had seized the initiative and was very likely to be the first to take that step.

"It seems the Three Realms will become even more chaotic in the future. Stimulated by the Jade Emperor, many will probably start to vie for the Great Dao, hoping to attain it before the Jade Emperor and avoid being subordinate to him forever. That is something many cannot accept," the Demon Master said with a sigh.

He seemed to be able to see the blood and gore of the future, and in such an era, no one could remain untouched.

"Hmph, being ahead in one step does not guarantee being ahead at every step, I will make sure his efforts end in vain," Feng Jiu said confidently.

In Dongsheng Shenzhou, Mr. Mo and Lin Fang were quietly watching the purple aura and the sword light slowly dissipate in the sky.

"It seems the Buddhist Sect has intervened," Lin Fang whispered.

Previously, the people of the Buddhist Sect had gathered in the Heavenly Court, the golden Buddha’s Light illuminating the sky, turning the white clouds into a gold hue, looking sacred and beautiful like twilight.

Having had many dealings with the Buddhist Sect, Lin Fang naturally recognized that it was the arrival of the people from Mount Ling.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Mo also nodded and said, "In the Three Realms, only the Buddhist Sect could pacify a struggle of this magnitude. It seems Mount Ling does not wish to let the Jade Emperor take the lead, after all, his Dao is too extraordinary."

"I fear not many in the Three Realms would wish for it," Lin Fang also revealed a smile.

He had long ago heard from Feng Jiu about the special nature of the Jade Emperor’s Dao and their several conflicts over their Daos. Therefore, he understood clearly that no one wanted to see the Jade Emperor ascend the Dao first, as that meant their own paths would be blocked.

However, for Lin Fang, this realm was still quite distant, he hadn’t even determined his own Dao yet.

Eastern Sea, Yingzhou Island.

When the light had completely vanished, everyone’s faces revealed a look of despair, for they knew that the Eastern King had been defeated.

Soon enough, the weary figure of the Eastern King appeared before them all.

He waved his hand and said, "Take our people and leave."

His words were filled with bleakness, and everyone felt that their once majestic sovereign seemed to have aged a lot, no longer having his former demeanor.

The shadow of defeat planted by the Jade Emperor in his heart had meant that the struggle over the Dao was actually already lost. The only reason he could continue to live was because many people in the Three Realms wanted to check the Jade Emperor’s power.

This was somewhat hard to accept for the Eastern King, who had always been high-spirited and proud.

"Your Majesty, do not be disheartened, victory and defeat are common in warfare. At least our people are unharmed," someone sighed and comforted.

The Eastern King did not speak but simply waved his hand to signal everyone to leave.

Soon the people of Yingzhou Island left, handing over the legendary island to the Heavenly Court, as well as the Divine Fusang Tree growing at the top of the mountain.

Li Jing, leading the Heavenly Army, planted the flag at the summit, proclaiming the victory of the Heavenly Court.

Facing the Divine Fusang Tree enveloped in flames, Li Jing felt a torrent of emotions as he said, "I had long heard about this Divine Tree, and now at last, I can take a close look at it."

Nezha, however, gazed at the Divine Fusang Tree with rapt fascination. Though he couldn’t enter enlightenment again, facing such a Heaven and Earth Spirit Root was still an enormous opportunity for him. Moreover, if it was as his father had said, the tree’s ultimate fate would only be to become nourishment for the Peach tree. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Considering this, the chance to observe the Divine Fusang Tree at such proximity had nearly become an impossibility, so Nezha would naturally not pass up such a golden opportunity.