am-books Chapter 216: Beating
Chapter 216: Beating
Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Beating
Nezha remained calm and unhurried, closely following behind Li Jing while maintaining just enough distance to give his father the illusion that escape was possible.
But everything was within Nezha's control—Li Jing had no chance of escaping from his grasp!
Nezha had two reasons for not immediately capturing Li Jing. First, he wanted to watch his once-strict father panic and lose his composure. Second, although he deeply resented his father, blood ties still mattered—he couldn't simply kill him.
So, Nezha came up with a different way to humiliate him.
Instead of taking him down right away, he would chase Li Jing all the way back to the Heavenly Court and then give him a public beating in front of a hundred thousand celestial soldiers. That humiliation would be far worse than death!
It was the perfect plan—punishment without killing, yet still enough to satisfy his lingering anger.
Thus, this bizarre scene unfolded: a terrified father desperately fleeing in front, while his "dutiful son" relentlessly pursued him from behind—like a man chasing after a runaway dog.
The spectacle soon caught the attention of passing immortals. At first, they hesitated to watch openly, knowing it was a personal family matter involving the Heavenly King. They kept their distance, not daring to intervene.
But as more and more gods noticed what was happening, they grew bolder. Some even sat back, sipping celestial wine, just as mortals would snack on popcorn while watching a good drama. For the first time in history, the Heavenly Court had become the stage for a family comedy.
Nezha chased Li Jing from the mortal world all the way to the Southern Heavenly Gate, with an ever-growing crowd of immortals watching.
Li Jing's face burned with embarrassment, and his vision swam with dizziness.
By now, he fully understood—his "good son" had planned this humiliation from the start. Nezha wasn't going to kill him; he was simply delaying the inevitable capture to maximize his disgrace in front of his colleagues.
Even knowing this, Li Jing refused to stop. The Southern Heavenly Gate was in sight—just a little farther!
He feared that if he stopped now, Nezha would find an even worse way to humiliate him.
No one knows a son better than his father, and Li Jing was well aware of Nezha's utter lack of restraint. If Nezha caught him and felt he hadn't been embarrassed enough, there was no telling what he might do in a fit of rage.
Almost there! Just a little more, and he would pass through the Southern Heavenly Gate.
Once inside, he would be in the Heavenly Court's domain. He could immediately order the celestial guards to seize Nezha, then appeal to the Jade Emperor for justice. Surely, his rebellious son would be severely punished!
But just as he was about to reach the gate, only a mile away, he suddenly heard a commanding voice echo in his ears:
"Freeze!"
Li Jing's face turned pale.
The moment that word was spoken, his entire body locked up. He couldn't move—he couldn't even blink.
It was a Binding Spell!
The Binding Spell was one of the most basic techniques known to nearly all immortals. Though simple, it was highly effective when used against weaker opponents.
Against an equal opponent, it might not be very useful. But when used against someone with lower cultivation, it was overwhelming.
And Nezha had cast the spell.
Nezha, a Great Golden Immortal, was an entire realm above Li Jing, who was merely a Heavenly Immortal.
With such a massive power gap, Li Jing had absolutely no hope of breaking free.
He could only watch helplessly—just one mile away from the Southern Heavenly Gate, from the celestial guards stationed inside, from the salvation that was so agonizingly close... yet completely out of reach.
Regret flooded his mind.
Why?
Why did he have to bring this rebellious son into the world?
Why did he oppose his own son's resurrection all those years ago?
Why, oh why, had he made such terrible decisions?!
Nezha, unbothered, withdrew his three-headed, six-armed transformation, returning to his normal form. Riding his cloud, he descended before his father and partially lifted the spell, allowing Li Jing to speak.
The moment he regained his voice, Li Jing immediately took on a regretful expression and said:
"Nezha, I know I've made mistakes in the past... but haven't you also done wrong?"
Li Jing continued pleading, his tone filled with remorse:
"In all these years, I have realized my mistakes and worked to correct them.
"Think about it—ever since I carried the Linglong Pagoda, have I ever mistreated you?
"I am your father. For years now, I have done nothing wrong, never scolded or punished you again. Can't you let this go just this once?"
Seeing his once-strict father now so weak and even begging for mercy, Nezha hesitated.
He had come here determined to teach his father a lesson, yet now, doubt crept into his heart.
Was his father wrong? Yes. But... hadn't he also made mistakes?
Over the past years, Li Jing had treated him and his brothers equally, showing no sign of resentment for their past conflicts. He had never held a grudge, even after Nezha had once tried to kill him.
Nezha wavered. His anger dulled. Perhaps... revenge wasn't necessary anymore.
—But watching from the Lunar Palace, Alex frowned.
This won't do.
If Nezha let go of his hatred, how would Alex enjoy the show?
Seated before the celestial projection, Chang'e watched in shock as Alex lightly tapped the table. A ripple spread through the air—an invisible force influencing Nezha's thoughts.
At the Southern Heavenly Gate, Nezha suddenly felt a voice whisper deep within his mind:
"He hasn't truly repented—he's only afraid of disgrace now that he's lost everything!
"Yes, he has treated you well recently, but does that erase his past crimes?"
"Delayed justice is no justice at all. If not for your master's intervention back then, you would be dead!
"There is only one answer—fight!
The other immortals fell silent.
None of them could come up with a reasonable answer.
If the mysterious figure had gained some benefit from this, that would be understandable.
But they didn't even take the Linglong Pagoda with them.
They didn't gain anything from this entire incident.
So...
Could it be that they orchestrated all this... just to watch a good show?!
---
Meanwhile, in the Lunar Palace, Alex, watching his scheme unravel, felt no disappointment.
On the contrary—his excitement only grew.
These immortals truly lived up to their name. Even though Alex left no trace, they still managed to deduce his existence through their vast experience.
But no matter how much they speculated, they would never guess his true purpose.
Or rather, even if they did, they wouldn't dare believe it—because the truth was he did all of this just for fun!
With the spectacle over, Alex withdrew the power binding Chang'e, but he didn't remove the ropes still wrapped around her.
As he admired the delicate curves of the most beautiful woman in the Six Realms, Chang'e trembled in fear.
Alex gave her a playful smile and said:
"Tell them—there's an even grander show waiting for them."
"These so-called immortals, who have schemed for eons and harvested the mortal realm for countless years, will soon have to pay the price."
---
Meanwhile, far from the chaos in the Celestial Court, deep in Xiniu Hezhou, within Fangcun Mountain's Oblique Moon Cave, Sun Wukong's potential had been fully awakened after years of cultivation.
The innate spiritual energy he was born with had been completely refined into power. He had now attained the supreme Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm.
All that remained was to master the Thirty-Six Celestial Transformations and enhance his Chaotic Force.
And because of Alex's interference, Wukong had trained in Fangcun Mountain not for three years, as in the original timeline, but for six years.
High atop the mountain, Patriarch Bodhi sat cross-legged, gazing down at the drifting clouds below. His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through all barriers, falling upon his most exceptional—yet most worrisome—disciple.
With a flick of his horsetail whisk, he cast aside the chaotic thoughts clouding his mind.
After a long silence, a whisper—faint as the wind—echoed across the mountain peak:
"It is time. I cannot delay any longer..."
A sigh, laden with helplessness, was carried away by the valley breeze.
---
Over the next few days, fearing that the Saints might intervene and forcibly initiate the Calamity of the Journey to the West, making Wukong's fate even harsher, Bodhi began nitpicking his disciple's faults—hoping to use this as an excuse to drive him away from Fangcun Mountain.
But to his surprise—
Sun Wukong was no longer the restless, mischievous monkey from before.
He had grown into a calm and composed warrior, yet retained the liveliness of a monkey.
In daily life, he was polite and respectful, well-mannered in all interactions, and had not made a single mistake.
Even though Bodhi was deliberately finding faults, he simply couldn't find an excuse serious enough to expel Wukong.
With a deep sigh, Bodhi finally gave up and decided to summon him.
He had already stretched fate by three extra years, personally shouldering an immense karmic burden.
If he delayed any longer, he might suffer severe injuries—
And if he was injured, then when Wukong inevitably fell into disaster, who would be left to plead with the heavens and the Buddhas to spare his life?
---
In a secluded courtyard, Bodhi finally found Wukong.
At that moment, the Monkey King was chatting with his fellow disciples, standing at the center of attention, clearly well-liked by all.
Seeing this, Bodhi smiled approvingly before finally speaking:
"Wukong, come here."
The moment he heard his master's call, Sun Wukong immediately bid farewell to his brothers and hurried over.
With a respectful bow, he clasped his hands and said:
"Master, what do you need of me?"
Bodhi observed Wukong's cultivation.
He was just a step away from reaching the Quasi-Saint level, standing on the threshold of a realm occupied by Bodhi himself, the Buddha, and the Jade Emperor.
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Bodhi's face—but it was quickly suppressed.
Then, in a calm, distant tone, he said:
"You have cultivated in my cave for thirteen years. Your training has reached its peak.
"Only by tempering your heart in the mortal world can you take the final step.
"Now, go."