Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha

Nezha looked at the back of Bi Yun leading the way ahead, feeling even more shocked, because this person was none other than Bi Yun Tongzi, who was supposed to be shot dead by Nezha's arrow.

He thought to himself, thanks to the nine years of compulsory education I received, I know how to be civilized and polite. Not to mention randomly shooting arrows, I wouldn't even throw things from high places. Otherwise, my Taoist brother, you would be in big trouble, facing a disaster from nowhere.

Walking through this stone cave, Nezha was extremely curious. Outside the cave were all sorts of rare mythical creatures and exotic flowers and plants, but the inside of the stone cave was decorated very simply.

The stone walls inside the cave were shaved to be extremely smooth, with dark blue gemstones the size of a fist embedded every ten steps for lighting. Despite the scorching summer, a breeze was continuously blowing through the stone cave.

After walking several dozen steps, he saw another boy, looking eighty percent like Bi Yun but seemingly two years older. His long, slender, and beautiful eyebrows were always furrowed, clearly a cultivator, but his demeanor and actions were like a small wife who had been wronged.

As soon as they met, he frowned and said, "Why so slow? If you keep the master waiting, you'll be in for it!"

"Brother Cai Yun, it's not my fault. The stone cave is so deep, I'm afraid of disturbing the master's cultivation by running, so walking carefully takes time."

Bi Yun Tongzi felt wronged, but Cai Yun Tongzi just coldly said, "You talk too much," and Bi Yun could only lower his head and admit his mistake.

Hearing it was Cai Yun Tongzi, Nezha took another look and thought to himself, my Taoist brother, you're lucky to have met a top ten good boy like me, Nezha. Otherwise, you'd almost meet your end under the Qiankun Ring.

"What are you looking at?"

"Looking at how handsome my Taoist brother is."

Cai Yun's face turned beet red, and he said coldly, "Smooth talker, you need a beating! If you act this way in front of the master, you'll regret it."

Always talking about good and bad rewards, I've been here for a while, and there's not even a shadow of a fruit plate, let alone any fruit. Nezha pouted and couldn't help but complain in his heart, but he didn't mind, instead he smiled and said, "Thanks for the advice, Taoist brother. When we meet the mistress, I'll be serious and definitely won't eat the mistress's fruit."

Cai Yun, who had been cultivating in the mountains for a long time, wasn't skillful at arguing with people. After being retorted by Nezha, he wanted to reply but didn't know what to say, he could only swallow his pride and anger, stewing silently.

Walking further inside, the space grew larger, the stone cave revealed a whole new world. After turning a corner, the scene before his eyes was fascinating.

There was another realm in front of him, where the whole mountain's interior was hollowed out, with countless gems embedded in the ceiling forming a sky full of stars. Beneath was a pitch-black expanse, with only a two-foot-wide path leading to a hovering stone platform in the mountain's center.

On a chair at the stone platform's center sat a Daoist nun with her eyes closed. From a distance, Nezha saw Shi Ji Niangniang wearing a Fish-tail Gold Crown, in a vivid red Eight Diagrams robe, hemp shoes, and a silk belt. A Qingluan bird stood on her left, and a Taia Treasure Sword hung on her right. Her entire being was enveloped in a red golden glow, clearly an elegantly shaped woman, yet she felt like a giant mountain standing still in this place.

Upon first seeing Shi Ji, Nezha realized what a truly powerful cultivator in the world looked like; even fierce Yakshas like Li Gen were mere chickens and dogs before such beings.

Cai Yun said, "Why dawdling, quick, go and pay respects to the mistress."

Nezha turned back and saw the beautiful little Daoist child glaring fiercely at him again, wondering where he had offended him so much to garner such enmity.

He said, "Why are you so fierce? Since your master invited me over, I'm a guest here. Is this how guests are treated at Skull Mountain White Bone Cave? Wait, I'll go tell on you to Shi Ji Niangniang!"

"You!"

After Nezha finished speaking, he ran off, leaving Cai Yun Tongzi helpless, stomping his feet fiercely in anger.

Though the stone path was long, Nezha covered it in a few swift steps, reaching Shi Ji and bowing his head to salute, "Junior Nezha, son of Li Jing of Chentang Pass, greets Shi Ji Niangniang."

Only then did Shi Ji open her eyes, icy cold pupils resembling two pieces of grey gemstone set at the bottom, her crescent moon-shaped brows raised, showing no expression as she said lightly, "What was that shouting with Cai Yun Tongzi you were doing back at the stone path?"

"Replying to Niangniang, we weren't really arguing. The Taoist brother was instructing me on how to speak when meeting Niangniang, lest I be found lacking in etiquette and incur Niangniang's blame."

Nezha naturally wouldn't actually tell on Cai Yun. He wasn't that petty to stir trouble on someone else's turf over trivial matters.

"You've got quite the tongue on you, how's your father doing lately?" Shi Ji's tone didn't seem accusatory either.

Nezha didn't expect Shi Ji to suddenly mention Li Jing, and replied honestly, "Father is as usual, but he recently went to Wild Horse Ridge to train troops, having little leisure. How could Niangniang have known him while residing in the mountains?"

"Not much acquaintance, back in the day, Li Jing became a disciple under Du Er Perfected of West Kunlun. It's a pity he didn't succeed in the Immortal Path. I saw him down from the mountain before his master, asking favors for wealth among people; now he's a marquess, yet as neighbors, there's been no contact."

Nezha sensed the dissatisfaction in Shi Ji's words, breaking into a cold sweat, thinking to himself, Li Jing, you've brought this upon yourself, now I have to clean up your mess.

He said, "Niangniang is right, Li Jing owes Niangniang a great debt, he shouldn't have failed to visit. Yet my father serves the court, his duties leave him weary. Recently, he's been troubled by disturbances from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, even more so hiding at Wild Horse Ridge."

"You Nezha, always sharp of tongue; didn't you just say Li Jing went to Wild Horse Ridge to train troops? How did it become fleeing from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea? Speak carelessly again, and you'll be in for it!"

Nezha saw Shi Ji going from a joking tone to suddenly seeming genuinely upset, her brows tightly knitted, a grim aura spreading, causing him to feel a chill in his heart.

He hurriedly replied, "Talk of training troops, perhaps to hunt in the woods with a concubine and house guards, leaving the mess of citizens and troops behind, harmed by this Dragon Palace of the East Sea."

Upon hearing Nezha bring up the Dragon Palace of the East Sea with grinding teeth, Shi Ji asked, "From where does this all stem?"

"Niangniang, let me tell you."

Nezha exaggerated the story of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea to Shi Ji, hoping that Shi Ji, being another righteous celestial being, would be willing to intervene against this wrongdoing. Even if not, given her past interactions with Li Jing, Nezha figured she wouldn't make things difficult for him.

Though Shi Ji listened to Nezha's tale of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, her expression showed little reaction. Instead, she seemed a bit surprised and said, "Earlier outside the cave, you mentioned yourself as a disciple of Taiyi Zhenren from Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain. I see you hold the Qiankun Ring and Chaos Sky Silk, clearly treasures from Golden Light Cave, so likely your claim is true. Yet as a Chan Sect disciple, cultivating and practicing, why concern over the life and death of a few ordinary people?"

Nezha didn't quite grasp Shi Ji Niangniang's point. He wasn't Peter Parker, not buying into the greater power, greater responsibility credo. He acted out of:

"I didn't like how the Dragon Palace conducted itself, so I decided to intervene."

"Good for you, deciding to intervene just because you didn't like it. Your reckless way of doing things isn't typical of the Chan Sect, but resembles our Jie Sect disciples more."

Nezha didn't bother with the distinctions between Chan Sect and Jie Sect, noticing Shi Ji's attitude seemed to shift, quickly played the pitiful part and lamented, "But I'm just a seven-year-old child, weak and alone, to contend against the many soldiers of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea."