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

Nezha almost didn't realize he was poisoned.

But Zi Chen noticed.

Looking at Jiang Ziya's panicked eyes, for the first time since her revival, a feeling resembling anger climbed into her heart, causing her to reveal her true form in front of Jiang Ziya.

"You have a lot of guts."

Jiang Ziya glanced at her, but wasn't surprised and asked, "Are you the spirit of the Holy Artifact?"

Zi Chen completely ignored his question and said, "You think you understand Nezha? You feel that no matter what you do, as long as he regards you as a friend, he won't harm you? Let me tell you, you're wrong. If you do something like this, he won't consider you a friend anymore."

She could tell that when she spoke, there was more pain in Jiang Ziya's eyes.

At this moment, Lv Ping also walked out from the side, the girl was thinner than before, and she was already in tears.

Lv Ping grabbed Jiang Ziya's arm and said, "Ziya, it's still not too late to stop now. You hold high office, even Ji Fa can't control you. Can't we just live our lives like this now?"

Jiang Ziya flung Lv Ping's arm away and looked at Zi Chen, shouting, "Don't scare me. I know you're formidable. Even if the Holy Artifact revives on its own, it can easily kill a Taiyi Golden Immortal. But all of that requires one precondition, that Nezha consciously gives you the right to revive on your own!"

Zi Chen glared at him. This little old man had existed in this world for an incredibly short time, yet the words he spoke were undeniable.

"Hahaha, I knew it!"

"Friend?"

"You're right, Nezha is indeed my friend, and looking back at my life, perhaps there hasn't been such a good friend. But so what? Look how many people in this world, at some point in time, have found really good friends. But after one goodbye, or one trip far away, these so-called friends never have the chance to meet again. Just a friend, exchanging a friend for my immortality, in the countless years I will have in my future, I can make a hundred friends better than Nezha! Even in business, this is an extremely profitable deal!"

Zi Chen immediately understood what had happened.

Jiang Ziya sold out Nezha.

And the transaction wasn't even with Ran Deng, but someone who promised him immortality, someone he firmly believed wouldn't go back on their word.

Eventually, she sighed, "Nezha told me once, you're smart, but especially bad at making deals."

"Ridiculous! Just bad luck!"

Jiang Ziya was infuriated, his face turned red as he stomped around the room, while Lv Ping couldn't stop her tears, sobbing bitterly.

Suddenly, she knelt in front of Zi Chen and said, "I beg you to forgive him. He desires immortality too much. He's been obsessed with this all his life. It's really not his fault, really not his fault."

Zi Chen said, "I don't blame him. The one who will blame him is Nezha—not you, don't you know? Your current life is all because of Nezha, isn't it? Such betrayal is truly despicable. Your tears are nothing but crocodile tears."

Zi Chen finished speaking, and Lv Ping cried even harder. She bowed her head, ashamed beyond words.

Jiang Ziya didn't care at all and couldn't do anything about Zi Chen. Zi Chen could not harm him.

He took the Binding Immortal Rope from Nezha and recited the incantation, which bound Nezha tightly.

Zi Chen mocked, "The person who sent you surely taught you quite a few tricks."

Jiang Ziya was trembling all over, whether from remorse or excitement, he couldn't say. He said, "Yes, yes, my fellow disciple. My fellow disciple, you know, you know, if he could move even a finger, I'd dare not act rashly."

Zi Chen laughed, "Of course I know, I know the extent of his abilities, and I understand how you fear for your life."

"Who doesn't fear death, who doesn't desire life? Just selling out a friend, do you want me to give up immortality, abandon the Tao? How many can do such a thing in this world, why blame me alone?"

Jiang Ziya, with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes, yelled at Zi Chen, unaware that saliva dripped from his mouth.

"Nobody is blaming you for anything. The pain you feel now is from your own conscience."

"Conscience?"

Jiang Ziya laughed again, staggering back a few steps, no longer resembling the quick, decisive man who had tied Nezha with the rope earlier.

He said, "Yes, you're right. It shows my cultivation is not enough. I must be even more ruthless, otherwise, even if that person helps me form a Golden Core and refine my Primordial Spirit, I won't become a Taiyi Golden Immortal!"

With that, he ignored the protests from Lv Ping on the floor and Zi Chen's scolding. The world seemed to become chaotic in his eyes. He circled the room a few times before finally taking out the God-beating Whip, amidst a series of exclamations, and struck Nezha's head.

Nezha, though he was an Outer Heaven Demon, was also a person of this world.

This strike nearly scattered his Primordial Spirit.

Yet the poison was truly potent, damaging his essence; still, he had not awakened, as if dead.

Zi Chen remained silent.

The Jiang Ziya before her had sold out everything for immortality.

This was not uncommon in the Cultivation World.

Cultivators are all heartless.

She returned to hiding within Zi Chen's Sky Ruler, using a trace of Holy Power to protect Nezha's Primordial Spirit. What happens next, only Nezha's fate could decide.

The one behind this, regardless of their intentions, could not possibly be merely to kill Nezha.

Jiang Ziya arrived at a place.

Here, immortal energy surrounded him, towering columns reached the sky, with no sight of mountains or people.

This was the Purple Mansion.

Also the divine abode of Lord Lao Zi, where the Eight Scenic Palace was located.

After waiting for a long time, Jiang Ziya finally saw a boy. As he bent down to bow, he hadn't even opened his mouth before he heard the cold voice of the boy, "Where is Nezha?"

Jiang Ziya took a step forward and tossed the bloodied Nezha onto the ground.

The boy glanced at him, lightly extended a finger to lift Nezha, and with a command to follow, walked along the jade path ahead.

After walking for a while, they saw a green ox wandering leisurely. The boy fed it a handful of Spirit Grass, while Jiang Ziya knelt to pay his respects.

The green ox's cultivation was also at the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm, yet it was the steed ridden before Lord Lao Zi attained enlightenment, having deep significance, its status in the Chan Sect even surpassing some Quasi-Saints.

The green ox mooed twice, not speaking, seemingly too lazy to look at Jiang Ziya, and quickly ran away.

The boy said, "You annoying guy, even the green ox doesn't like you. But luckily, you've completed the task given by the great lord, otherwise you might become a loner in this world."

Jiang Ziya understood what he meant.

Though he had been rolling in the muddy fame and fortune of the mortal realm, his connection with the Chan Sect hadn't broken, yet if he failed to accomplish this task, no cultivator in this world would likely want to associate with him.

He suffered no loss.

However, just thinking about this outcome, he felt he couldn't accept it.