Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

What greeted him was the Jade Emperor's completely emotionless gaze. Tianpeng knew that the Supreme Ruler would surely take this opportunity to seize control of the Celestial River Naval Forces for himself, but he couldn't figure out why the Supreme Ruler would do such a thing, given that he was already the sovereign of heaven and earth—a single naval force more or less meant nothing to him.

In his confusion, Tianpeng was dragged away by the Heavenly Soldiers. The punishment hammer of the Heavenly Court was not to be taken lightly. Unless one possessed a defiant Immortal Body like Monkey Yang Jian, a single strike would disperse one's mana.

After two thousand blows were delivered to Tianpeng, his years of cultivation were completely obliterated, and then he was sent to the Netherworld to undergo reincarnation.

When the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly General escorted Tianpeng to the Land of Reincarnation, an old man was already waiting there. With an aged face full of wrinkles, dressed in archaic ceremonial attire, he was holding a wooden staff in his hand.

"Old Shaman, why have you come in person?" a Heavenly Soldier asked in surprise. This elder was no ordinary figure; he held the highest status in the Witch Tribe beneath the Ancestral Shaman. The Witch Tribe had always safeguarded the six paths of reincarnation, but this old man had never shown himself before.

"I heard that someone dared to disrespect Chang'e, so I came to see who was so bold, with the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. Could it be that since my Witch Tribe has secluded itself from the world, people think we're easy to bully?" the Old Shaman said indignantly, stamping his wooden staff.

The Heavenly Soldier dared not engage in conversation. Others might be unaware, but those who regularly transported prisoners to the Land of Reincarnation knew the strength of the Witch Tribe. Angering these individuals could unsettle all three realms.

They cautiously offered smiles, appeasingly saying, "Who would dare do such a thing? It was His Majesty's wrath, and if not for the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's plea, Marshal Tianpeng would have already passed through the Immortal Slaying Stage."

The Old Shaman listened without a word, then glanced at the disheveled Tianpeng and said, "Hmph, see that there is no next time for such an occurrence. Although Chang'e is far away in the Moon Palace, we old folks are not yet dead and gone. It isn't someone else's turn to scheme against her.

Convey this message to the Jade Emperor, in the words of the Ancestral Shaman of our Witch Tribe: If this happens again, even at the cost of incurring the sins of the entire world, we shall confront the Jade Emperor in the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

The few Heavenly Soldiers could only nod in agreement, their minds secretly speculating about the underlying message in the Old Shaman's words, suspecting there was a hidden secret they did not know.

"Rest assured, Old Shaman, we will convey your message to His Majesty. Please initiate the reincarnation so that, after this one is sent off, we can return and report back," the Heavenly Soldiers said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the Old Shaman tapped the Reincarnation Disk lightly with his staff, causing it to emit a dazzling array of lights. Six passages opened up, each corresponding to a distinctive ambiance.

The Old Shaman snatched up Tianpeng with a strength that belied his frail appearance. With a gentle toss, he threw Tianpeng into the maw of reincarnation. In an instant, Tianpeng's form was swallowed by the cycle and he began his journey of rebirth. From then on, there was no more Marshal Tianpeng in the world.

"Oh dear, I seem to have thrown him into the path meant for animals. It appears I'm indeed getting old, and my strength isn't what it used to be. You go back and report to His Majesty, saying that it's my waning strength that led to this mishap," said the Old Shaman with an air of nonchalance.

The several Heavenly Soldiers exchanged glances. Considering the old man's robust toss, the discrepancy between his actions and claimed weakness was apparent to anyone. They wouldn't believe his words about a mistake caused by frailty, but they also knew the Old Shaman was exacting his revenge on Tianpeng.

They dared not say more, took their leave from the Old Shaman, and hurried back to the Heavenly Court.

"Really heartless," a Heavenly Soldier mused. "To think he'd simply be tossed into the animal realm like this, it's pitiful that the mighty Naval Marshal would be reborn as an animal." Even though the event had unfolded right before his eyes, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.

"Offending the Lunar Deity is tantamount to offending the entire Witch Tribe. Don't look at the witches hiding in the Underworld and not showing themselves, but you mustn't forget that the Ancestral Shamans have not yet died out. Moreover, with that Highness still around, even His Majesty would not dare to take her lightly.

This Marshal, too, he's truly audacious to have the gall to flirt with a Star Lord," another said with some admiration in his voice.

"However, I always feel like the Old Shaman's words are laden with hidden meanings, as if there's some other scheme behind the incident with Marshal Canopy."

"Silence, even such words you dare to utter carelessly, do you not want your life? Moreover, even if there is a scheme, what does it have to do with us? Just do your own duties, and don't worry about other matters. There are taller heads to be held accountable if the sky falls," chided some of the other Heavenly Soldiers as they chatted their way back to the Heavenly Court.

After they left, a robust man from the Witch Tribe came to the Old Shaman with a laugh and asked, "Shaman, what was he reborn as?" It was none other than Kui Ba, who once hosted Lu Yu.

"Let me see, he actually ended up in a pig's womb, that's some well-deserved retribution," the Old Shaman said as he gazed at the Reincarnation Disk for a moment.

"Hmph, it's really too lenient for him, daring to make advances on Lady Chang'e. If it weren't for the Highness's intervention, we would have stormed the Hall of Splendor long ago."

With a "boom," the Old Shaman sprang into action and thumped Kui Ba on the head with his staff, causing the Witch Tribe strongman to clutch his head, look at the Old Shaman with a puzzled face, not understanding why he had been hit.

"How many times have I told you, you mustn't be impulsive, you mustn't be impulsive. It seems you've all thrown my teachings to the back of your minds. Have you forgotten how we fell to our current state?" the Old Shaman said indignantly, spraying spittle in Kui Ba's face.

"Back then, we even replaced the Heavenly Emperor, truly dominating the three realms. If it weren't for the clash between the Ancestral Shamans Gonggong and Zhurong, with Gonggong in his rage destroying Mount Buzhou and bringing sin upon the world, why would we need to hide in the Underworld?

If not for the protection of the virtue of the Ancestral Shaman Hou Tu, our tribe might well have been decimated by divine punishment," the Old Shaman recounted the past events with regret in his voice. The once-dominant rulers had fallen to such a state because of a moment of impulse, yet these young ones hadn't learned from history and were still quick to anger and impulsive.

"Shaman, we understand our fault. We're just talking tough. Without your consent, who would dare to do anything rash?" Kui Ba said with a sheepish smile while still holding his head.

"Now the Three Realms are in turmoil, many powerful beings seek transcendence. At times like this, it's especially easy for accidents to happen, with many once prominent figures vanishing in these maelstroms. You youngsters better stay in line. Don't stir up trouble at this crucial time.

If anyone messes up the grand plan of Ancestral Shaman Hou Tu, I'll hold you accountable," the Old Shaman warned, tapping his staff.

"Rest assured, we won't," Kui Ba hastily promised the Shaman, knowing that they might be impulsive but not foolish, understanding who truly had their best interests at heart.

"Good, you can still be taught!" the Old Shaman finally nodded, then, stooping and using his cane, he slowly shuffled deeper into the Underworld.